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Mental Illnesses In Prisons

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“People with mental health problems are almost never dangerous. In fact, they are more likely to be the victims than the perpetrators. At the same time, mental illness has been the common denominator in one act of mass violence after another.” In his statement, Roy Blunt gives a new perspective on how crimes are related to mental illnesses. As he mentions, not all people with mental illnesses are dangerous, however, it seems that the blame for violent crimes is almost always put on a mental illness. Not only are individuals with mental illnesses blamed for how their brain works under certain circumstances, but they are also punished as a way to prevent them from committing a similar crime in the future. However, most people can agree that these serious mental illnesses should be cared for and attempted to be cured, not only for health reasons, but also for overall safety in society. In fact, studies show that many criminals that are in prison today are actually suffering from a serious mental illness. …show more content…

In his book Unfair, Benforado mentions one important factor that can add to a mental illness. He reveals that “environment can play a powerful role in how our brains develop, particularly during the prenatal, infant, and early childhood periods” (54). Therefore, there are many underlying causes of mental illnesses, including how one’s brain develops due to the environment one lives in. As he mentioned, particular aspects of one’s childhood heavily determines what they may be able to cope with in the future. During this phase in one’s childhood, many mental illnesses can develop due to vital circumstances, that may be uncontrollable. Therefore, not only is it necessary for children at this point in their lives to receive the proper time and attention they need, but how their brains develop plays a crucial role in how they will react in circumstances in the

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