A Simple, Ugly Fact: America's Jails Are Crammed with the Poor and Unhealthy
March 7, 2015 in Blogs
Jail is not supposed to be where you put the mentally ill or those too poor to pay bail. Nor is it supposed to be where African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and Asians go for crimes that don’t land white people behind bars. But that is what they are increasingly becoming.
The primary purpose of jails, unlike prisons, is to be a temporary holding space where those who are a danger to the public or are a flight risk can await court proceedings. But they now hold many who are neither. Too often, jails are warehouses of low-risk individuals who are too poor to post bail or too sick for existing community resources to manage.
Many jails today are being asked to do the job of mental health institutions, even though they lack the resources and expertise to treat people suffering from mental illness or substance abuse. Research shows that serious mental illness affects an estimated 14.5% of men in jails and 31% of women – rates that are three to six times higher than in the general population.
Jail time is also being served by nonviolent offenders who can’t afford bail or a wide variety of criminal justice system fees, while wealthy defendants buy their way out. In New York City in 2012, 31% of non-felony defendants confined in jail until their cases were resolved were unable to make bail of less than $500. People are locked up – for months – as a result of driving with an expired license, or for a minor drug offense.
While incarceration starts locally in county and city jails, it of course doesn’t stop there. Research shows that even a few days in jail before trial or release can increase the likelihood of receiving a sentence of incarceration – and can increase the harshness of that sentence.
Unnecessary and inappropriate jail stays can cut off residents from their jobs, children and much-needed support like mental health counseling or drug treatment. It can send them into …read more
Source: ALTERNET
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