CRI210H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 16: Deinstitutionalisation, Intellectual Disability, Personality Disorder
17 Dec 2016
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CHAPTER 16: Criminal justice responses to people with mental illnesses
Intro:
-people who are processed through the criminal justice system are very different
than the general public (more likely to come from disadvantaged social
backgrounds) (those classified as offenders are more likely to suffer from mental
health problems)
-mental health plays a role in offending
-people with severe mental illnesses schizophrenia, bipolar… are more likely to
encounter police, incur arrests for minor crimes, acquire criminal convictions, and
experience detention or incarceration in jail or prison
-being poor or an ethnic minority only worsens the situation
-substance use problems, personality disorders, intellectual disabilities and
cognitive impairment also affect criminal activity
Myths and misconceptions
-most people with mental illnesses engage in criminal or violent behaviour (Fact:
these people are more likely to engage in behaviours that cause harm to themselves
rather than to others)
-people with mental illnesses commit most of the violence in society (FACT: only 5%
of violent crimes in society can be attributed to individuals with severe mental
illness)
-mental illness is a strong predictor of future crime and violence (FACT: other traits
such as antisocial behaviour and employment instability have stronger relationships
with crime and violence)
Factors contributing to overrepresentation
-deinstitutionalization- social movement in the late 20th century that shifted the
standard approach for treating mental illnesses away from large, antiquated
psychiatric institutions towards community based care (the closure of these
institutions left people with mental illnesses abandoned)
--careful implementation of deinstitutionalization policies can mitigate adverse
consequences such as homelessness and incarceration and may foster increased life
satisfaction and independent living for those with mental disorders
-criminalization –refers to the inappropriate use of criminal justice processes,
agents and institutions to manage mental health issues
ex. A mother with a son with schizophrenia may have him arrested for a minor
crime in order to het him access to mental health services OR a police officer who is
tired of bringing an individual with bipolar disorder to the hospital every week may
arrest and detain him as a means of gaining access to longer-term specialized
mental health care
-stigma- social process that aims to exclude, reject, shame and devalue groups of
people because of a particular characteristic
-causes people with mental illnesses to have unequal access to social, economic, and
political resources and power
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Chapter 16: criminal justice responses to people with mental illnesses. People who are processed through the criminal justice system are very different than the general public (more likely to come from disadvantaged social backgrounds) (those classified as offenders are more likely to suffer from mental health problems) People with severe mental illnesses (cid:523)schizophrenia, bipolar (cid:524) are more likely to encounter police, incur arrests for minor crimes, acquire criminal convictions, and experience detention or incarceration in jail or prison. Being poor or an ethnic minority only worsens the situation. Substance use problems, personality disorders, intellectual disabilities and cognitive impairment also affect criminal activity. Most people with mental illnesses engage in criminal or violent behaviour (fact: these people are more likely to engage in behaviours that cause harm to themselves rather than to others) People with mental illnesses commit most of the violence in society (fact: only 5% of violent crimes in society can be attributed to individuals with severe mental illness)
