Many mentally ill inmates in Arkansas prisons

Our View

Many mentally ill inmates in Arkansas prisons

Arkansas lawmakers like to call it the Revenue Stabilization Act. It is the $5.3 billion they will spend mostly on the government subsidy called Medicaid, the foster care system within the troubled state Department of Human Services and, of course, public education.

This so-called Revenue Stabilization Act also includes an additional $23.7 million, to almost $2.19 billion in fiscal 2017 for public schools. Now then, while $20.4 million more of our tax dollars will be dumped into the DHS’s Division of Children and Family Services there remains some monumental challenges in dealing with the nagging problems involving the state’s prison system. And, let’s not forget the frustrations in finding solutions to adequately funding the state’s roads, highways and bridges.

Anyone who has paid any attention whatsoever to what’s going on knows Arkansas has a serious issue in prison overcrowding, which we learned just the other day, is due in large part to the fact that the percentage of mentally ill people behind bars is more than three times the percentage of people in the general population with mental illness.

And, listen to this, according to a report by the Council of State Governments Justice Center in New York City that was presented to the state Legislative Criminal Justice Oversight Task Force, 17 percent of people who are incarcerated have verified mental illnesses.

As we know, this task force, another version of what former Gov. Mike Beebe had in place when he was attempting to deal with this issue, is continuing to search for answers to prison overcrowding, including alternatives to incarceration for mentally ill people who run afoul of law enforcement.

It is generally agreed upon that far too many people suffering from mental illness are being placed into an environmental that only exacerbates their condition.

The fact of the matter is that people that are incarcerated with mental illness cost more money and stay in jail longer with no good results. The facts are that mentally ill inmates wind up staying in jail three times longer on average than inmates who don’t suffer from mental illness.

This mental issue crisis is just one of many Arkansas prison officials are dealing with regarding overcrowding, recidivism rates, parole issues and lack of realistic and successful rehabilitation programs.

Besides state politicians dumping billions of our tax dollars into the troubled Arkansas Department of Human Services and public education dealing with state prison issues ranks among the top state expenditures.

And the sad thing about it is that while an enormous among of tax dollars and resources are being spent on state corrections there seems to be few solutions to solving this serious crisis.

So then, what is this task force’s recommendations?

Well, it seems we’re going to have a summit meeting between state and county officials for the sole purpose of coming up with affordable recommendations on to start tackling the problem. Let’s be realistic and admit that there isn’t any real bargain basement solutions and thinking that corners can be cut to solve these issues is simply pipe dreaming.