The Connections between Mental Illness and Law Enforcement - Coursework Example

The connections between mental illness and Law Enforcement Introduction Mental illness, together with the disorders arising from substance abuse, constitutes a major public health issue around the world; the problem has impacted many other social systems and their workings. International studies in the area show that almost a quarter of the world’s population suffers from an addiction disorder or a psychiatric condition that can be diagnosed, at some stage during their lifetime. Additionally, mental illnesses are the main factor underlying disability in Canada, the US, and Europe. According to a study by Kessler and comrades, about 6 percent of the US adult population at some point in their life, suffer from a condition that meets the criteria of a serious mental illness, which can interfere with one or more of the daily activities that are very important to them (Kessler et al. 17). In many cases, substance abuse and mental health problems overlap, noting that it has been established that 30 percent of the victims of mental illness also suffer from an addiction disorder (Wood et al. 1). The choice of this topic was based on the knowledge that, a lot of the people suffering from mental illness have fallen victims in the hands of law enforcement officers, which warrants to be addressed. Through addressing the issue, the short and the long-term effects of incarcerating the mentally ill will be avoided, and better solutions will be developed to address the problem of increased mental health problems. This report will shed more light on the policing style, paying particular attention to the role of the police as the officers that come into contact with the mentally ill, which requires them to respond to and address their needs with the tools they are equipped with. A socio-legal perspective: The role of the police in democratic societies The public as well as the police view the role of the police as that of criminal law enforcement, despite the fact that the police have since the past played an important role in society, in the areas of health, security and maintaining order (Wood et al. 4). The major parts of the services offered by the police are channelled to the areas that are characterised by unemployment, high poverty levels, and other forms of social disorganization. In such environments, it is easier for the police to partner with other agencies, as compared to the option of using the criminal law tools. Within the society, the encounters of the police and the members of society are shaped by the fact that the police possess the ability to employ force. Due to the powers offered to them, the police enforce the law in proactive and reactive ways. The police are allowed to use coercion; they can stop, question or even frisk any person appearing troublesome or suspicious. The factors influencing the encounters between the police and the people suffering from mental illnesses are deep in nature and also vary from one community to another. There are two core principles underlying the regulations guiding the actions of police, with respect to the people suffering from mental illnesses. The first is that the police hold the responsibility to protect the public; they posses the duty of guaranteeing the welfare and the safety of the public. The second is that the police hold the duty of servicing the ‘parental duty of the government’ where the outcomes expected include provision to the disabled, who are unable to take care of their affairs (Lamb, Weinberger & DeCuir 1266). Based on these principles, the police hold the legal authority to arrest the people that are a threat to the members of the community. The individuals that are arrested by the police for causing disturbances within the community, include the mentally ill, who may not be in a position to provide for themselves and protecting themselves from the harm imposed by others. The scope of the role of the police shows that the police posses the authority and the legal mandate to restrict or restrain the lives of the mentally ill, in some situations. However, it is important to note that the police, along with the help of the public, can offer better support and care for the mentally ill, despite the fact that some cases may warrant their detention (Wood et al. 3). Literature Review In the past, the people suffering from severe and disabling mental conditions like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia were confined within psychiatric institutions for lengthy periods, and in many cases, they were confined against their will. In the US alone, the deinstitutionalization of the 1960s, released many of the 500,000 people receiving custodial care at psychiatric health institutions into the community (Manderscheid, Atay and Crider 29). The deinstitutionalization of psychiatric institutions led to the reduction of the people confined within these institutions to about 50,000 (Manderscheid, Atay and Crider 29). This emphasises that the deinstitutionalization process released the mentally ill into the society, which placed the community at the risk of their adverse behaviours. The process also risked the lives of the mentally ill, because many people in society do not accommodate their problems. After the deinstitutionalization, the US started a social control program, which entailed the incarceration of the mentally ill. During the years between 1982 and 2007, the population confined within the prisons increased from 612,000 to 2.3 million (Wood et al. 1). To an alarming level, deinstitutionalization led to the re-institutionalization of the mentally ill within the criminal justice system, which brought the people suffering from serious mental illnesses into the jails and not the psychiatric institutions. About 7 percent of the contacts made between the police and offenders comprised those suffering from mental illness (Borum et al. 393). The information shows the reason why more and more mentally ill people are going to jails and falling victims to the law enforcement work of the police. The closure of public mental institutions, without the creation of an effective system of administering support and care within the community, paired with the inability to offer definitive care for mental problems released the mentally ill into every community (Wolff et al. 152). Apart from being free within the community, these people are chronically unemployed and in some cases homeless, which increases their vulnerability to the peace-keeping mission of the police. The process of developing and adopting cost-effective interventions to help improve the lives of the mentally ill living within the community has remained a challenge for the service systems touched by the issue. These service systems include social welfare, public health, law enforcement, corrections and the courts. This emphasizes the need to protect the mentally ill, through the partnership of the police and other agencies, so that, instead of going to jail, they can be offered support and the help they need. Findings From the literatures explored before, it is evident that the mentally ill were released into the society, following the deinstitutionalization process, and for that reason, the mentally ill are becoming the prime victims of the police. The problems of the mentally ill are deepened by the fact that, many of them are less admissible into employment, many are poor and in some cases may also be homeless, which makes them highly vulnerable to law enforcement officers. The mentally ill make up about 7 percent of the people that face the law enforcement work of the police. The causes of the problem include the deinstitutionalisation of the mental health institution, which released the mentally ill into the society, irrespective of the fact that little was done to care and support them. The effects of releasing the mentally ill into the society include that; the work of the police has been made more difficult, noting that they fit into the profile of criminals, including unemployment and homelessness in some cases. Some of theme have become a majorly represented group in the justice system, and in many cases have gone to prison. The solutions to these problems will entail empowering the police and allowing them the opportunity to partner with other agencies, including welfare institutions in the provision of care and support to the mentally ill. Community Services One of the local community centres that offer support to the mentally ill is the community services centre at the Mississippi Department of Mental health (Mississippi Department of Mental health 1). The mental health services centre offers preventive services and support for children and adults suffering from mental health problems like alcohol and drug problems, and emotional disturbances among others. The service delivery system entails three components, including state-run and community based programs, regional centres and non-profit agencies. This service centre was found through community referrals (Mississippi Department of Mental health 1). The people suffering from mental illnesses can seek the services of the agency by calling the Mississippi department of mental health helpline, and then they can request for the help desired. After contacting the agency, the seeker should register their request for services with the DMH, and then OCS staffs responds to the request and offers directions about services. Accessing the services of the agency does not depend on the seekers access to insurance services (Mississippi Department of Mental health 1). The outlook of the agency demonstrates that service delivery is ample. Conclusion Mental illnesses, together with the disorders related to substance abuse present a major problem to health institutions and the society, around the world. The society, as a whole, views the role of the police as that of operating like law enforcers, irrespective of the police’s participation in other roles and areas. The factors influencing the encounters between the police and the mentally ill include their disadvantaged status within the society, taking into account that many are unemployed, and others are even homeless. The deinstitutionalization of the 1990s released the mentally ill into society, which worsened the work of the police and increased the vulnerability of the mentally ill to law enforcers. Through the paper, it became evident that the problems faced by the mentally ill, are deep and warranting of solutions, which is why the police together with other agencies need to partner in addressing the issue. One of the community service agencies already bridging this gap is the Mississippi Department of Mental health, which offers care and support services to the mentally ill. Works Cited Borum, Randy, Deane, Williams, Steadman, Henry, and Morrissey, Joseph. ‘Police perspectives on responding to mentally ill people in crisis: perceptions of program effectiveness’. Behavioural Sciences & the Law, 16.4(1998): 393-405. Kessler, Ronald, et al. ‘The epidemiology of co-occurring addictive and mental disorders: Implications for prevention and service utilization’. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 66.1(1996): 17-31. Lamb, Richard, Weinberger, Linda, & DeCuir, William. ‘The police and mental health. Psychiatric Services, 53.10(2002): 1266-1271. Manderscheid, Ronald, Atay, Joanne, & Crider, Raquel. ‘Changing trends in state psychiatric hospital use from 2002 to 2005’. Psychiatric Services, 60 (2009): 29-34. Mississippi Department of Mental health. News and Events. Mississippi Department of Mental health, 2014. Web. 14 April. 2014. Wolff, Nancy, Diamond, Ronald, and Helminiak, Thomas. ‘A new look at an old issue: people with mental illness and the law enforcement system’. J Ment Health Adm, 24.2(1997):152-65. Wood, Jennifer, Swanson, Jeffrey, Burris, Scott, and Gilbert, Allison. Police interventions with persons affected by mental illnesses: A critical review of global thinking and practice. Center for Behavioral Health Services & Criminal Justice Research, Rutgers University, 2011. Web. 14 April. 2014. Read More