Case study memo. HUS 441 Field Placement & Lab. Social Sciences

Case Study Memo
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Institutional Affiliation
Case Study Memo
Case Study discussion
Mary’s case study highlights the plight of the mentally ill and substance use women within the Philadelphia prison system. It reveals the emotional, behavioral, and cognitive problems women face in the Philadelphia criminal justice system. Studies in American prison systems indicate that women have higher rates of mental health problems than men in correctional facilities. Some of the factors attributed to this trend are more females tend to report issues with mental illness compared to their male counterparts (Norris, Jayaram, & Primm, 2012). Because of significantly fewer women in incarceration than men, their prison facilities tend to be inadequately equipped.
Some common mental health illnesses include bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. So, it becomes challenging to manage inmates who have a combination of mental disorders and drug abuse. The case study shows that the independence of both mental health unit and substance use units makes this dual diagnosis even more complicated. This situation creates a challenging task for prison authorities in women's correctional facilities. This is because both institutions claim to lack the capacity to handle these types of inmates. The local women’s prison in Philadelphia further brings to light the limited resources available for prison systems to deal with mental health and substance use inmates (Case Study). Prison reports from across the country reveal a similarly dire situation in many correctional facilities. For example, a court-sanctioned Washington's state health agencies for failing to provide mental health treatment for troubled inmates. The prison system is expected to rehabilitate and make a person better. However, many correctional facilities don't offer any useful therapy to patients. Some still resort to their previous antisocial behavior after being released from jail. Data shows that more than a third of these mentally ill inmates are again incarcerated within three years of their release (The Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights, 2020). This goes to show the need to effect robust treatment facilities for dual diagnosis inmates in women’s prison facilities.
The local women’s prison facility in Philadelphia also brings to the fore the severe shortage of community mental health workers and limited physical resources. For example, Mary’s case study reveals only three personnel take care of the mental health and substance use needs of inmates within the prison facility. Further, the rampant crisis cases within the facility make it difficult for them to give personalized attention to any of the troubled...