Mental Health Behind Bars
Too often, people living with a mental health condition don’t get the help they need and end up in jail. There, they go from being potential psychiatric patients to being inmates — expected to comply with orders or face consequences, even when their conditions make this difficult or impossible. WITF is exposing conditions at jails and prisons in Pennsylvania, showing how people who need help are often hurt instead. And WITF is looking for solutions — highlighting areas where law enforcement and mental health professionals are trying humane alternatives.
Additional coverage:
Featured Stories
Jails fail to accommodate people with mental illness. In some cases, it’s a civil rights violation.
Conditions in some corrections facilities are a a moral failure that also costs taxpayers millions.
Pennsylvania lawmakers weigh in on need for reforms after investigation into county jails and mental health
Prison oversight boards and funding for jails are among the ideas presented.
In Pa. county jails, people with mental illness are routinely met with pepper spray and stun guns
A WITF investigation finds that Pennsylvania county corrections officers use physical force on people who may be unable to comply with orders due to a mental health condition.
Pennsylvania mental health advocates hopeful for funding increase
Recent Stories
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US appeals court says man can sue Pennsylvania over 26 years of solitary confinement
A man who spent 26 years in solitary confinement despite a history of mental illness can sue Pennsylvania prison officials for alleged cruel and unusual punishment, a U.S. appeals court said in reviving the man’s lawsuit.
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Katie Blackley
Pa. promotes state parks for helping addiction recovery
Spending time in nature can be a powerful tool to boost mental and physical health for people in recovery from drug addiction.
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Stressed about politics? Here are 5 ways to take care of your mental health
By Rhitu Chatterjee/NPR -
AP photo
ACLU sues Pennsylvania, demands more resources for public defenders statewide
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Matt Rourke
Pa. lawmakers call for permanent funding, expansion of Scandinavian model of prisons
The approach focuses on rehabilitation over punishment. -
Access to mental healthcare is a barrier for many
Pa. has new law that could make mental health treatment more available -
Street View Oct. 2023, Google
Snyder County Prison to close amid cost-cutting plan
By Tom Riese/ WVIA
