Mental Evaluation in the Justice System
Forensic psychiatry is a subdivision of psychiatry that encompasses both law and psychology. It helps the judiciary analyze the mental capacity of suspects and inmates for proper decision making. Metal evaluation occurs in three dimensions; before trial, during imprisonment, and after a prisoner is released from jail. Mental evaluation before incarceration is done to determine the soundness in mind of the suspect. This will help the court determine whether the suspect intended to commit a crime or not. During incarceration, assessment is vital to establish the mental state of prisoners. Prison can be a hostile environment that often predisposes inmates to mental disorders. After imprisonment, prisoners need to be assessed as well to evaluate their mental state as they try to get their lives back together. Former inmates often face discrimination from their communities, making it difficult for them to be fully incorporated into society. Through the help of reintegration plans, such individuals can assess treatment plans and other services that help them become fully integrated into their communities. Analysis of mental health is an essential, integral component in the justice system whose influence on decision making cannot be ignored.
Mental Assessment before Trial
When a suspect is brought to custody, officers need to evaluate their mental state in case they have suspicions of mental health. Police officers are now being trained to help them recognize mental health disorders among suspects. This enables them to identify signs of mental disorders among their suspects, which affects the legal proceeding onwards. The mental status of a person may change their capacity to understand the legal charges being initiated against them and in preparation for defense during court trials. For minor offenses, charges may not be offered if psychiatric evidence is present. Alternatively, in major crimes, the court may consider the aspect of mental health in determining the sentence. There are forensic departments that carry out assessments on behalf of the police and court magistrates. Forensic psychiatry is more complex and is conducted for people who have committed more severe crimes. For legal action to be taken against an offender, the act should be criminal and show evil intent. In cases involving mentally unstable individuals, the sinister intent aspect may not exist, which explains why they may be excused for their actions.
Psychiatric Assessment Process before Trail
The forensic psychiatry process begins with determining whether a mental disorder is present and if treatment can reduce the chances of recommitting a crime in the future. With a mental disorder present, recommendations will be made on the type of treatment that will be issued to the patient depending on the risk he or she poses to the public. Assessment is typically done by more than one psychiatrist to achieve more efficient results. From the results, the court will decide whether psychiatric treatment is required before proceeding to trial. If treatment is needed, the court will select the best sentencing option, which is also dependent on the level of risk the suspect poses to the public. Even though psychiatric evidence can influence the sentence, it is different from the verdict. This is because juries have to determine whether a crime was committed regardless of the mental state of offenders. However, an exception is given for homicide charges, which generally attract a life sentence. The mental state of offenders during a crime can result in a verdict of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility instead of murder.
Mental Health Assessment during Incarceration
The hostile nature of the prison environment contributes to high rates of mental cases among inmates. Prisons influence the mental health of an individual due to several factors; these factors include; overcrowding, enforced solitude, prison violence by other inmates, isolation from social networks, lack of privacy, and adequate health care. The most common disorder being depression has resulted in an increase in suicide rates among inmates. Sometime people with mental illnesses may be sentenced to imprisonment without proper assessment of their condition. This puts them at a more vulnerable state with a lack of treatment and cares while serving their sentence. People with mental issues face stigma and feeling even more marginalized when in prison. This may result in an escalation in their condition, which can be dangerous for other inmates and even themselves. It is, therefore, crucial for prisons to develop mechanisms to ensure inmates are screened for mental health disorders and proper treatment administered. Prison often lack the equipment to run psychiatric centers within their premises. This is because such facilities are expensive to build run and often have limited capacity.
Mental Assessment Benefits
To Other Prisoners
Mental health assessment and treatment in prisons can be beneficial not only to an individual but also to other prisoners, prison employees, and the community. Creating awareness of mental health in prison can lessen the stigma and discrimination among prisoners. Assessments and treatment improve the quality of life of the jails. This is because, through addressing these issues, inmates will feel safer and secure living among people with mental illness, knowing that their conditions are being adequately managed. The prison system exists to separate the criminal from the outside world so that they can be rehabilitated before allowing them back to society. To ensure proper rehabilitation, the mental health of these prisoners should be put into consideration. Poor psychiatric care of inmates may increase the chances of committing other crimes after leaving jail. It is, therefore, vital to treat prisoners with mental issues to help them adjust quickly to the outside world upon their release from prison.
To Prison Employees
Prisons are often demanding work environments. Inmates in prisons come in for different crimes, some minor and others major. Some may be easier to deal with compared to others. Cases of violence and indiscipline among inmates are common. This aspect of the prison atmosphere makes it difficult for employees to conduct their duties as required. The risk can be complicated further with the existence of mental health concerns among inmates. Prisons should, therefore, ensure, mental health is appropriately managed to improve working conditions for their employees. Employees need to have morale and feel motivated so that they can perform their duties adequately. Part of the assessment plan should also involve training of employees on ways to handle inmates with erratic behavior. This will enable them to handle situations head-on, especially for guards who are in charge of maintaining order.
To the Community
Apart from employees, the intermediate community can benefit when proper healthcare is offered to prisoners. Communities can be affected due to the constant exchange that occurs between them and prisons. This happens through the employment of prison staff and the continuous release of prisoners. Communities must have confidence in the system’s ability to rehabilitated inmates’ behaviors so that they can easily incorporate these people into society. Releasing inmates with existing mental issues may put the community at risk hence creating mistrust. Proper healthcare management of patients with psychological needs can help reduce the chances of reoffending, the number of people who return to prison, divert people with mental issues into treatment and rehabilitation centers, which ultimately lessens the high costs of prisons.
Assessment after Release
Assessment of a prisoner’s mental health after they are released from prison can successfully be achieved through proper planning. First, through the prison system, inmates with mental illness are identified. It is then necessary for these people to be referred to community-based healthcare so that they can proceed with treatment after release. A reliable support plan is required to help reintegrated prison leavers into the community. This plan, with the availability of resources, is based on the individual’s strengths, weaknesses, and treatment needs. The reentry plan requires the efforts of several stakeholders, which are; the offender, mental health provider, Medicaid representative, labor representative, faith-based community organization representative, and recreational organization representative. Years of institutionalization can make an individual unable to take control of their lives. Through mental assessment and treatment, they can learn to adjust and take responsibility. Assessment enables continuity of care as one transition from prison to the outside world. It also allows the exchange of information among parties on the patient’s mental history. Mental assessment should also be extended to inmates without a history of mental illness to ensure they are not exposed to these disorders upon their release.
Transition services ensure continued healthcare support and reduce recidivism. According to research, content supervision and support services offered after release are essential in ensuring proper integration and sanity of inmates. Several conditions can be provided for individuals with mental health issues, for instance: the acquisition of stable employment, stable housing, the prohibition against associating with known criminals, possession of weapons, medical compliance, and involvement in case management. Incentives are required to motivate former inmates to live a crime-free life and preventing them from reverting to their old ways. Therefore treatment should be offered with other essential services to provide support on different aspects of the individual’s life. Significant laws exist concerning patients with mental health release to the community. The impact of these laws is to ensure the successful integration of former prisoners back to the community and reducing the risk of reoffending by such individuals.
Prisoners find it difficult to access mental care services due to poor community-based healthcare services. Social workers also find it difficult and demanding following up released prisoners, especially for those with existing mental health issues most prison leavers suffer from anxiety and depression due to pressures that come with them trying to fit in the community. Mental health follows up is, therefore, essential to help them deal with the stress. It is especially crucial for prisoners who have served shorter sentences because they may not have received prerelease assistance before being left back into the community. They are often located in different locations, making it difficult to reach out to them. The problem is further complicated by the unavailability of the proper mental health system at the community level to treat prison leavers. It is required that they get in contact with community-based healthcare personnel immediately after release, but this seldom occurs for most leavers. The situation is not different for former prisoners with chronic mental illnesses, which could worsen their conditions even further.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the paper evaluates the assessment of mental health issues for offenders before trial, during imprisonment, and after being released back to society. When police officers apprehend suspects, it is required by law that they assess their mental state before proceeding further with investigations. Before trial, suspects should also be evaluated to establish their mental state. This is because mental health information is essential in the determination of the sentence. The study also analyses the impact of the prison environment on inmates and the need to evaluate incarceration. It also outlines the benefit of in-prison assessments to; other prisoners, prison employees, and the community as well. Lastly, of covers the evaluation of prison leavers to ease their transition back to the community. This is done for all inmates regardless of whether they have a preexisting condition or not. Former prisoners may suffer from depression and anxiety as they try to fit in the community after being isolated. Mental evaluation at this step helps prevent instances of reoffending and keeping the individual away from jail. It is vital for the reintegration plan to provide incentives besides psychiatric care so that people are motivated to comply. The integration of Mental health assessment into the justice system is required to guide decisions and the making of appropriate plans to ensure criminals’’ well-being in and out of prison.
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