Metzner J L, Fryer G E, Usery D
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver.
J Forensic Sci. 1990 Mar;35(2):433-8.
The formation of adequate mental health systems within prisons has accelerated as a result of successful class action lawsuits. Our recent national survey questioned all state correctional departments about the existence of standards in each system, compliance with such standards, prevalence of class action lawsuits involving the issue of providing adequate mental health services for inmates, issues related to consent decrees, available mental health resources within the correctional system, and the administrative structure of the mental health system. Our purpose was to identify those factors correlated with certified class action lawsuits involving issues related to mental health services. Twenty-one states were involved in such litigation. Only the presence of psychiatric hospitals operated by the department of corrections correlated with the presence of certified class action lawsuits involving mental health services. Prison systems larger than 15,000 inmates were at higher risk for such litigation. Smaller systems having psychiatric hospitals run by the state mental health agency appeared to be at less risk for such litigation.
由于集体诉讼取得成功，监狱内适当心理健康系统的形成进程加快。我们最近开展的全国性调查向所有州惩教部门询问了每个系统中标准的存在情况、对这些标准的遵守情况、涉及为囚犯提供适当心理健康服务问题的集体诉讼的普遍性、与同意令相关的问题、惩教系统内可用的心理健康资源以及心理健康系统的行政结构。我们的目的是确定那些与涉及心理健康服务问题的经认证集体诉讼相关的因素。21个州参与了此类诉讼。只有惩教部门运营的精神病医院的存在与涉及心理健康服务的经认证集体诉讼的存在相关。囚犯人数超过15000人的监狱系统面临此类诉讼的风险更高。由州心理健康机构运营精神病医院的较小系统似乎面临此类诉讼的风险较小。
