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Abstract: 

The Federal BOP set higher standards for psychiatric care but instead of helping more inmates, the agency dropped thousands from its caseload. The BOP lowered the number of inmates designated for higher care levels by more than 35 percent, according to the study. “Increasingly, prison staff are determining that prisoners—some with long histories of psychiatric problems—don’t require any routine care at all.” Amazingly, as of February 2018, the BOP classified just 3 percent of inmates as having a mental illness serious enough to require care. In California, e.g., 30 percent of their inmates receive care designated for a serious mental disorder. New York, 21 percent are on the caseload while Texas treats about 20 percent. We look at the recent report from the Marshall Project, “Treatment Denied: The Health Crises in Federal Prisons.”

Keywords: Federal Bureau of Prison Mental Health

Affiliations:  1: Executive Editor.