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<span style="font-weight: bold">News Source: OTGNR - </span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Over 200 mentally ill persons serving prison time in # Jamaica ( RJR )...</span>
More than 200 of the 4,500 of the country's prisoners are mentally illness. The data exclusively obtained by RJR News from the Department of Corrections, which was gathered up to January 5, 2011, show that there are 228 mentally ill inmates, 53 of whom are said to be unfit to plea.The correctional services say 97% of these inmates are housed at the Tower Street and the St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre in designated areas.In the break down of these pictures 149 of these mentally ill inmates are housed at the Tower Street Adult Correctional facility, 34 of which have been deemed unfit to plea.Meanwhile, 71 mentally ill inmates are at the St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre with 18 that are unfit to plea.The correctional institution for women has only eight mentally ill inmates with one woman said to be unfit to plea. Mentally ill prisoners treated & releasedAccording to Lieutenant Colonel Sean Prendergrast, Acting Commissioner of Corrections, majority of these persons are diagnosed with schizophrenia and are treated with a combination of medication and counseling.He says those found unfit to plea go through the system and are treated until they are found to be fit to be released into the society. "A judgement is made by the court to keep them in custody while they are unfit mentally to plead their case. There are times that while they are in custody, through treatment and otherwise, they may get to a stage where they become fit to face the courts and that happens. But there are others that a determination is later made to release on compassionate grounds or otherwise and they never face the courts o the charges for which they were incarcerated in the first place. It depends on what the courts determine," Lieutenant Colonel Prendergast said.He added that mentally ill prisoners in these facilities are the responsibility of the Medical Unit of the Correctional Services.He explained that two full time psychologists are employed to give treatment to the inmates in addition to four other sessional psychiatrists who provide regular treatment to the mentally ill in these facilities.
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Over 200 mentally ill persons serving prison time in # Jamaica ( RJR )...</span>
More than 200 of the 4,500 of the country's prisoners are mentally illness. The data exclusively obtained by RJR News from the Department of Corrections, which was gathered up to January 5, 2011, show that there are 228 mentally ill inmates, 53 of whom are said to be unfit to plea.The correctional services say 97% of these inmates are housed at the Tower Street and the St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre in designated areas.In the break down of these pictures 149 of these mentally ill inmates are housed at the Tower Street Adult Correctional facility, 34 of which have been deemed unfit to plea.Meanwhile, 71 mentally ill inmates are at the St. Catherine Adult Correctional Centre with 18 that are unfit to plea.The correctional institution for women has only eight mentally ill inmates with one woman said to be unfit to plea. Mentally ill prisoners treated & releasedAccording to Lieutenant Colonel Sean Prendergrast, Acting Commissioner of Corrections, majority of these persons are diagnosed with schizophrenia and are treated with a combination of medication and counseling.He says those found unfit to plea go through the system and are treated until they are found to be fit to be released into the society. "A judgement is made by the court to keep them in custody while they are unfit mentally to plead their case. There are times that while they are in custody, through treatment and otherwise, they may get to a stage where they become fit to face the courts and that happens. But there are others that a determination is later made to release on compassionate grounds or otherwise and they never face the courts o the charges for which they were incarcerated in the first place. It depends on what the courts determine," Lieutenant Colonel Prendergast said.He added that mentally ill prisoners in these facilities are the responsibility of the Medical Unit of the Correctional Services.He explained that two full time psychologists are employed to give treatment to the inmates in addition to four other sessional psychiatrists who provide regular treatment to the mentally ill in these facilities.