Mentally Ill Inmates in Alaska Prisons

Group: University of Alaska Anchorage Justice Center

URL: http://justice.uaa.alaska.edu/forum/21/1spring2004/bs1_mentallyilldoc.html

Description

As with the U.S. prison system in general, the Alaska correctional system is the largest provider of mental health care services in the state. According to a 1997, approximately 37 percent of the population of Alaska Department of Corrections (DOC) facilities exhibit a mental disorder—mental illness (including major psychiatric disorders) and/or chronic alcoholism. This article discusses DOC's efforts to supervise and treat mentally ill inmates under its supervision and describes some of the obstacles to effective provision of mental health care services to inmates.

Tags

corrections, mental health, inmates

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