FRONTLINE INVESTIGATES WHAT REALLY HAPPENS TO MENTALLY ILL OFFENDERS WHEN THEY LEAVE PRISON

Posted by admin on Apr 29, 2009 in News Articles | 0 comments

FRONTLINE Presents
THE RELEASED

As communities across the country face the largest exodus of prisoners in history, the issue has never been more pressing. This year alone, over 700,000 people will leave prison, more than half of them mentally ill. Typically, these offenders leave prison with a bus ticket, $75 in cash, and two weeks’ worth of medication. Studies show that within 18 months, nearly two-thirds of mentally ill offenders—often poor and cut off from friends and family—are re-arrested.

In 2007, Lynn Moore, armed with bottles and bricks, broke into a house looking for Osama bin Laden. A paranoid schizophrenic with a history of drug and alcohol abuse, he was arrested more than 20 times and sent to prison for the fourth time. After serving eight months, Moore was released without supervision. FRONTLINE follows him from his first day of freedom to a homeless shelter in Canton, Ohio. “I don’t think people understand how hard it is to transition from prison life back to everyday life,” says Scott Schnyders, program director at Refuge of Hope, the shelter that housed Moore.

Click here to watch the entire episode online:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/released/view/

Breaking the Cycle: Spanish Peaks program provides treatment, keeps mentally ill out of prisons.

Posted by admin on Apr 27, 2009 in News Articles | 0 comments

This Article by Loretta Sword of the Pueblo Chieftan details the remarkable success of the Spanish Peaks Mental Health Center Treatment Alternatives and Collaboration Program.  The program provides comprehensive mental health and substance-abuse treatment for people involved in the criminal justice system for crimes related to their illnesses.  The program is being hailed by judges, law enforcement representatives, and the offenders receiving treatment as an opportunity for reintegration and reduction of recidivism for the program’s participants. 

Click here to read the entire article. 

Kids Needing Mental Health Help Don’t Get It

Posted by admin on Apr 27, 2009 in News Articles | 0 comments

Tyler Lopez writes for 7News about the results of several national studies citing the need for more mental health services, including preventative treatments, for young people in the U.S.  Programs from the Midwestern Colorado Mental Health Center and the Jefferson Center for Mental Health are referenced.

Click here to read the online article.

Managing Life’s Pressures in an Unstable Time

Posted by admin on Apr 22, 2009 in News Articles | 0 comments

This article from the Daily Record shares the importance of caring for one’s mental health.   The article also shares some simple tips to help deal with life’s stressors, particularly important given the recent economic hardships facing many individuals. 

Click here to read this thoughtful article.

Mentally Ill in the Criminal Justice System on 7 News

Posted by admin on Apr 22, 2009 in News Articles | 0 comments

Channel 7 News recently aired a brief segment discussing recent statistics citing the large number of mentally ill criminal offenders currently incarcerated in Colorado.  The piece highlights the significantly higher costs and average lengths of stay for this population in jails and prisons, and includes comments from an interview with Adams County Undersheriff Paul Siska encouraging more treatment in the community for these individuals. 

Click here to access the video clip. **May take some time to load.  Also, you may need to download a recent version of QuickTime to view this clip.  Free version download can be found at http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/**

This clip is also available in the Criminal Justice section of the CBHC Library.