PSYCHIATRY BEHIND THE WALLS - MENTAL-HEALTH-SERVICES IN JAILS AND PRISONS

Throughout his professional career, Karl Menninger emphasized the impo rtance of understanding criminal behavior and societal responses to su ch behavior. He focused on the need for more humane approaches within the criminal justice system. This article focuses on the current needs and anticipated directions for psychiatric services in prisons and ja ils, including comprehensive systems approaches that can facilitate be tter treatment and decrease repeat offenses. With the growing number o f individuals being incarcerated in jails and prisons, and with higher percentages needing mental health services, it is important that effe ctive mental health services be designed and implemented. Services sho uld provide quality interventions and treatments for the inmates, must take into account and be respectful of the security needs of the faci lity, and must deal sensitively and thoughtfully with the stresses and factors that contribute to burnout among the professional staff and s ecurity officials. In this way, we can achieve part of Karl Menninger' s dictum to provide better cave for those who are unfortunate enough t o have their behavior result in their being incarcerated in jails and prisons.