Behind Bars and Broken Minds: Mental Health in Prison

Prison have become America’s largest mental health facilities, with an estimated 37% of incarcerated individuals having a diagnosed mental illness. Instead of receiving treatment, many are punished for behaviors stemming from their conditions.

Take Andre, who lives with bipolar disorder. Without access to medication or therapy, his manic episodes led to disruptive behavior in prison, landing him solitary confinement. “It was like putting a Band-Aid on a broken bone,” Andre said. Solitary made his mental health worse, not better.

The lack of mental health care in prisons perpetuates a cycle of incarceration and suffering. Upon release, many individuals reoffend simply because they didn’t receive the care they needed. True criminal justice reform means prioritizing mental health care — both inside and outside prison walls. Everyone deserves healing, not punishment.