Hope for mentally ill inmates Our view: Hope for mentally ill inmates
Winston-Salem JournalFeb 08, 2017
Our view
People struggling with mental illness have enough to deal with without going to jail. But too many who suffer from mental illness or problems related to their mental illness wind up there, and too many wind up repeating the experience. A promising program that's being implemented in Forsyth County, as well as throughout the nation, should help.
Jail is not traditionally a good place for the mentally ill to receive the resources they need to recover and return to productive lives. But now women can register for the Stepping Up Process to End Recidivism, or SUPER, the Journal's
According to Stepping Up, an estimated 2 million adults with serious mental illnesses are jailed each year in
Forsyth County is one of 25 counties in the state that has passed resolutions to support the initiative, which nationally is led by the
The program will begin with a group of under 100 female inmates who have had chronic mental illness linked with substance abuse problems. The group's relatively small size makes it more manageable, Whisenhunt told the Journal.
The participants are all volunteers who want to take charge and improve their situations.
The program has promise. If it works for women, a men's program should be started. Together, these programs would be of benefit to taxpayers, law enforcement and, especially, those who wind up in jail as a result of their illness.