Administrative position paper

Mental Health in Law Enforcement

Saint Leo University

I. The Problem

Mental health is an increasing problem in law enforcement. While mental illnesses may not be a direct correlation to crimes that are committed, offenders are found populating the jails and prisons (Peterson, 2014). When offenders are arrested and jailed for the crimes that they commit, through experience in the field, they are under-treated for mental illnesses.

II. Factors Bearing the Problem

The bearing factors comes in many forms as there can be many different things that play a role in the under-treatment of mental illnesses in offenders in the law enforcement realm. Evans, Huang, & Hser (2011) argues that the contributing factors to mentally ill offenders being under-treated are due to the lack of assessments of mental health needs, trained professionals, and lack of multiple locations to treat those who are struggling with mental illnesses.

i. The behaviors that offenders exhibit are at times overlooked by law enforcement officials on a whole. Law enforcement officials are not recognizing the behaviors of offenders that exhibit the characteristics of being mentally ill as it comes in different forms with different people. There are many officers that are not aware of mental health illnesses which they may need additional training recognizing the behavioral signs and symptoms.

ii. Due to the lack of training an officer may receive, they may miss the behavioral sign or symptoms and are unable to properly assess offender’s needs. Officer’s inability to assess what an offender’s needs are puts them at a disadvantage to offer treatment versus putting them in the jail environment untreated. Many times, offenders are not assessed for mental illnesses unless they are suspected of having symptoms of mental illnesses and are committed involuntarily by an officer or voluntarily on their own in an effort of seeking help. In many cases, offenders are transported to jail instead of a psychiatric facility to seek help for that offender.

iii. While offenders are in their mental illness state, they are oftentimes unaware of what is happening to them to request the help that they need. On the other hand, some offenders may be aware of what may be wrong with them and are in denial so they fail to accept treatment.

iv. Withholding medications that have successfully managed patient symptoms are also an issue with the jail system. Individuals may have encounters with the law due to stopping medications and instead of patients being restarted on medications that keep them regulated, those medications such as antipsychotic medications continue to be withheld in the correctional facilities. Thereby, continuing the cycle of mismanagement of behavioral health issues.

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