Overview
Hundreds of thousands of the inmates who populate the nation's jails and prison systems today are identified as mentally ill. Many experts point to the deinstitutionalization of mental hospitals in the 1960s, which led to more patients living on their own, as the reason for this high rate of incarceration. But this explanation does not justify why our society has chosen to treat these people with punitive measures.In Crime, Punishment, and Mental Illness , Patricia E. Erickson and Steven K. Erickson explore how societal beliefs about free will and moral responsibility have shaped current policies and they identify the differences among the goals, ethos, and actions of the legal and health care systems. Drawing on high-profile cases, the authors provide a critical analysis of topics, including legal standards for competency, insanity versus mental illness, sex offenders, psychologically disturbed juveniles, the injury and death rates of mentally ill prisoners due to the inappropriate use of force, the high level of suicide, and the release of mentally ill individuals from jails and prisons who have received little or no treatment.
Full Product Details
Author: Patricia Erickson ,
Steven Erickson ,
Raymond J. Michalowski
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
Imprint: Rutgers University Press
Dimensions:
Width: 14.00cm
, Height: 1.50cm
, Length: 22.20cm
Weight: 0.567kg
ISBN: 9780813543383
ISBN 10: 081354338
Pages: 238
Publication Date: 18 July 2008
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
This book is informative and, with its reference to specific cases, more interesting than it might otherwise be. Recommended. --Choice A provocative, challenging, and thoughtful multi-disciplinary investigation of one of the most serious social issues we face. This is a major contribution to the literature. --Michael Perlin New York Law School
A provocative, challenging, and thoughtful multi-disciplinary investigation of one of the most serious social issues we face. This is a major contribution to the literature. --Michael Perlin New York Law School (05/07/2008)
This book is informative and, with its reference to specific cases, more interesting than it might otherwise be. Recommended.
Author Information
Patricia E. Erickson is an associate professor at Canisius College, where she serves as chair of the department of sociology, anthropology, and criminal justice. Steven K. Erickson is a forensic psychologist, practicing attorney, and a Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers (MIRECC) fellow at Yale University.
