Human Rights Watch

About the author: Human Rights Watch is a nongovernmental organization that investigates and reports on human rights abuses in all regions of the world.

Mentally ill prisoners are not receiving the treatment they need in U.S. prisons. Although prisoners have rates of mental illness that are two to four times greater than the rates of members of the general public, the prison system has inadequate resources and facilities to care for those who need mental health services. In the worst cases, prisoners have been locked in segregation with no treatment at all or have been abused or ignored by prison staff. Security staff often view the mentally ill as difficult and disorderly and confine them to solitary units. The lack of human interaction and mental health services in...