Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York City.
Psychiatr Serv. 2023 Jul 1;74(7):778-780. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.20230208. Epub 2023 May 24.
People with mental illnesses are markedly overrepresented in U.S. jails and prisons. Although a variety of factors account for this overrepresentation, punitive actions by prosecutors and judges in response to behaviors caused by mental illness play an important role. A recent Maryland case illustrates how such actions can occur, with excessive charges filed against a woman whose behavior was clearly related to a mental health crisis and the imposition of a disproportionate sentence. Educating prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges about the nature and consequences of mental illnesses is an essential step toward mitigating the punitive approach of the current U.S. criminal legal system.
患有精神疾病的人在美国监狱中明显过多。尽管造成这种代表性过高的原因有很多，但检察官和法官因精神疾病引起的行为而采取的惩罚性措施却起着重要作用。马里兰州最近的一个案例说明了这种情况是如何发生的，对一名行为明显与精神健康危机有关的妇女提出了过多的指控，并判处了不成比例的刑罚。教育检察官、辩护律师和法官了解精神疾病的性质和后果，是减轻当前美国刑事法律制度惩罚性做法的重要步骤。
