The issue concerning crime and violence among individuals suffering from mental disorders has been a subject of longstanding policy and clinical significance. Plenty of research has been carried out on the relationship between crime, violence and mental disorder. This article is a discussion on the relationship between crime and mental illness, the prevalence of mental illness in crime populations. It will also try to answer the age old question whether prison is an appropriate environment to deal with mental illness. There are several approaches that have been employed while looking at this situation. For instance, a clinical senior lecturer and consultant in Forensic psychiatry Dr. Seena Fazel, at Oxford University stated that the link or relationship between violent crime and serious mental illness is through the explanations of substance and alcohol abuse. She says that is substance abuse is taken away from the equation the contribution of mental illness itself is negligible or minimal (Fazel and Danesh, 549).
Introduction.
The relationship or lack thereof between crime and mental illness is an issue that can best be looked at from the extensive research that has been carried out over the years. Several researches on various fields have attempted to validate their point of view through their research. For instance, a large study was carried out in Sweden among more than eight thousand patients who had been diagnosed with Schizophrenia and about three thousand seven hundred other patients who had been identified as having bipolar disorder. The study was conducted over a period of three decades. The results found that the abuse of alcohol, illegal drugs caused people who are mentally ill to perpetrate crimes such as murder, sexual violence or even manslaughter.
Dr Fazel further stated that it is likely more dangerous to walk right outside a night club than walking right outside a hospital premises where patients have been let loose. It was further reiterated that the rates of violence among individuals who abused substances and are mentally ill were no different from those among other individuals who abused substances (Fazel and Danesh, 545).
Similarly, individuals with mental illnesses who abuse substances are more prevalent tpo criminal activities than those individuals who have no mental disorders who have the same drugs or drinking problems. Research has also shown that about 20 percent of individuals who have bipolar disorder abuse drugs and alcohol contrasted with about 2 percent of the general population. The doctor said that among the reasons for this is because abuse of substances is often genetically programmed into patients (Fazel and Danesh, 545).
Crime may be describes as the breach or contravention of the laws, rules or regulations which have been prescribed by an authority. Various individual societies among humans define crime differently as well as in different nations. Crime is generally that which contradicts the normal. In summary, the association of crime and mental illness is not unique because the relationship is not significant. Crime prevalence is not determined by mental illness (De Coster, 155).
Crime and mental illness.
Mental illness is characterized by alterations in behavior, thinking and moods or even a blend of the three which is associated with impaired functioning and distress for long periods of time. Symptoms vary in severity and depend on the type of illness, the environment, the family of the person as well as the individual. It is possible for an individual to express a combination of mental illness. An individual may suffer from both anxiety disorder and depression at the same time (Fazel and Danesh, 545).
A brief look at the past, mental illness became part of the criminal law around the year 1843 when the House of Lords in Britain came up with the defense of insanity as a response to the M’Naughten case. For many years, the law did not accept the conviction of an accused person who was found and regarded as insane. It was argued that individuals who suffered from an illness of the mind were not able to understand an omission or an act and thus were unable to appreciate right from wrong. This would result on an acquittal on account of insanity. However, such individuals were sentenced to detention in security tight detentions centers (De Coster, 175).
Negative effects of public fear.
The popular print and electronic media tends to exaggerate the risk and danger that mentally ill persons pose to the public in general. The media often portrays a supposed link or correlation between violent behavior and mental illness. The stigma attached to people with mental disorders and fears are the basis as to why majority of mentally ill accused persons are considered as dangerous (Hill and Angel, 965).
As established through research, the factors that contribute to violence among the general populations are the same as for individuals who are mentally ill; primarily alcohol abuse and drugs. It is nonetheless undisputed that some individuals who are mentally ill suffer from other additional factors for instance, neurological impairment or psychosis which once paired with an environment that is stressful and with little support, can act as a basis for criminal behavior or even violence. However, other common and popular factors such as isolation, low and poor self esteem, low economic social and economic status are equally manifested in both mentally ill offenders and offenders who are sane. The pattern of violence is a similarity between offenders who are mentally sick or ill and those offenders who are not mentally ill. In both situations, the offenders are more likely to harm or confront a member of his family or a friend in a setting that is private (De Coster, 170).
It is an accurate fact that individuals with mental illness are two to about five times more likely to be violent than an individual who does not suffer a mental illness. These statistics ought to be looked at in the context, because, this statistic is similarly accurate for, men compared to women. Violence is not equal to mental illness or vice versa, but there is indeed a relationship between behavior that is violent and symptoms which cause an individual to feel threatened for instance hallucinations. It is significant to note that people with mental illnesses or disorders are more likely to be violent, but they too are two point five times more likely to be victimized than a person who is not mentally ill or a sane person (Hill and Angel, 970).
The prejudice and intolerance on the part of the society has led to drawbacks for people with mental illness. For instance, employment is very difficult to come by and overall support is very limited. The criminalization theories and hypothesis assert that lack of a society based mental health care and treatment programs, lack of adequate housing and the inaccessibility of prolonged-stay in patient beds have all led to the incarceration and confinement of a huge number of mentally ill individuals even for minor crimes (Fazel and Danesh, 546).
Prevalence of mental illness in crime populations.
Research reveals that many disorders regarding mental health are especially prevalent among crime populations such as detainees, probation, prisons and delinquent populations. A methodical review of the literature carried out in 2002 estimated that about four percent of male detainees or prisoners all over the world suffered from a psychotic illness and about ten percent had severe depression. The review also highlighted that about 65 percent of the detainees suffered from a personality disorder. The review among the female detainees or prisoners revealed that about four percent had a psychotic illness, twelve percent experienced major depression and forty two percent had a personality disorder. It summary millions of prisoners across the world suffer from mental illnesses (Fazel and Danesh, 548).
Attention Deficit or Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a mental illness that is progressively more being recognized as a psychological condition that needs the attention of the community and the medical arena. It is also being recognized as a disorder that affects the prison population both the adult offenders and the juvenile offenders. Clinically ADHD is characterized by lack of attention and control of impulse, restlessness, mood swings, and emotional outbursts among others. Originally it was considered as a disorder limited to children, but several studies now show that the disorder can last even into adulthood (Kessler, Adler, Barkley. et al, 718).
Bipolar disorder or BD is another mental disorder that may be associated with imprisonment. BD’s lifetime prevalence among the general population ranges from about two point six percent to six point five percent similar to drug abuse prevalence of about four point four percent as well as several other disorders. The prevalence of BD in prison populations is same as the general populace. However, recent studies have shown that prisoners suffering from BD are more likely to commit a violent assault than those prisoners with no psychiatric disorders. They are also likely to have several incarcerations (Bauer, Unutzer, Pincus, and Lawson, 226).
Another disorder is the Intermittent Explosive Disorder of the IED which is another disorder that is common among the population in prisons. IED manifests itself as an aggressive behavior which is not in proportion to psychological or mental provocations and stressors. The disorder is characterized by repetitive episodes of grave physical assault and destruction of physical property Bauer, Unutzer, Pincus, and Lawson, 228).
Is prison the most appropriate place to deal with people with mental illness?
The perception among most people is that a prison is a place that is cold and dirty and that it is supposed to be unpleasant. Prison is seen as a place for punishment and thus one of the most miserable places in the entire world. Many prisons presently provide the inmate with access to cable television and other luxuries. Despite these luxuries, prison is not appropriate for prisoners.
Some scholars have asserted that the lack of an effective mental health care system inside the prisons results to high recidivism rates among criminals with mental illnesses. Many mentally ill prisoners are frequently isolated and victimized. They are often locked in solitary because they are not able to follow the rules, regulations of punishments administered in the prison. Many police officers have no basic training on how to deal with people who are anguishing from severe mental disorder or illness. Normal police procedures on such inmates will lead to confusion, an increased chance of violence and at times death. When mental ill patients are not stable and are left untreated, those who are particularly poor, suffering from drug addiction and unmonitored alcohol use, homeless may break the law and get wrapped up into the criminal justice system. The failure of proper and efficient mental health systems has led to the so called criminalizing of individuals who are mentally ill (Hill and Angel, 969).
Conclusion.
The treatment and condition of offenders with mental illnesses have travelled a long journey to the present, where mental illness originally became a component of criminal law around the year 1843. Despite the progress made by many criminal justice systems, a lot needs to be done. As already stated there is a misconception that mental illness and crime are related. The stigma surrounding this hypothesis has made the system unfair to that extent (Hill and Angel, 970).
The society has progresses to a level of acceptance of mentally ill people. There is a need to educate the public on the difference between crime and mental illness so that the fear can be eliminated. The community ought to be accepting of mental illness and implement appropriate programs to make more effort to treat and care for the mentally ill individuals.
The prison is not the solution as it is not a suitable location or place for offenders who are mentally ill. The correctional officials ought to recognize the challenge that is at their hands because of the large and multiplying number of prisoners who are mentally ill. The work needed to be accomplished in order to respond to the conditions and needs of the mentally ill is a lot. Their suffering should be alleviated in order to prevent their conditions from deteriorating.
