A significant concern in law enforcement involves contact and handling of people with mental disorders. The media has played a significant role in documenting police contacts with the mentally ill and the problems associated with such encounters. Research by the Treatment Advocacy Center has shown that people with untreated mental diseases are approximately 16 times more likely to be killed by the law enforcers than civilians during an encounter. The study further revealed that the mentally ill are more likely to become victims of police shootings more than the civilian population (Charette, Crocker, & Billette 2014).
Other than the police, the courts and the correction facilities have also played a significant role in the predicament experienced by the mentally ill. Over the last few decades, the number of mentally ill people has dramatically increased in prisons and jails more than those found in the mental institutions. It, therefore, indicts the courts and correctional centers as places that worsen mental health more than any other area. The overrepresentation of the mentally ill therefore highlights the problems that these people cause to the police, courts, and the correctional centers. The encounter between the police and the mentally ill often leads to violent confrontations, and as such, it remains vital to assess how the criminal justice in its entirety handles the mentally ill.
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The police primarily contact the mentally ill in the community setting and the correctional facilities. Research has shown that there is a general fallacy among the law enforcers that these individuals are dangerous and require forceful restraining. The fact that the correctional facilities have almost thrice the number of mentally challenged individuals compared to the hospitals shows that the courts have often mistreated these individuals. Their treatment in the correctional facilities has also left much to be desired especially with the use of cruel means such as electrocution.
Reference
Charette, Y., Crocker, A. G., & Billette, I. (2014). Police encounters involving citizens with mental illness: use of resources and outcomes. Psychiatric Services , 65 (4), 511-516.
