From mental health facilities to prisons: a concerning shift
According to a report from the U.S. Department of Justice, 37 percent of the people in prison have a history of mental health problems. This was not always the case. The United States at one time had state mental health facilities, where those with mental illness could be treated. From 1870 to 1955, these numbers increased until it peaked at almost 600,000. This was 0.36 percent of the then population …