New Documentary: Institutionalized: Mental Health Behind Bars

America’s relationship with its mentally ill population continues to suffer as a result of inadequacies in the country’s mental health care system.

For the mentally ill in Chicago, the effects of this inadequacy are felt on a magnified scale, as budget cuts and a lack of community-based mental health resources have left these individuals with minimal support. More often than not, this means being repeatedly swept up into the criminal justice system for low-level, non-violent crimes

VICE News takes an immersive look at this issue by going inside the Cook County Jail and speaking with community members on Chicago’s south side.

5 Likes

Proper education and lack of really good opportunities (other than illegal drug selling ventures) remain unavailable mostly due to over population in many areas of the globe.
Our so called “demons” are like a kind of spiritual gravity in that they are here to make us stronger as we try to resist them so that we will grow in the right direction. Life seems very slow to change and we loose our patients.

So sad!..

I watched the whole video (thanks @SzAdmin), and even though I live in Illinois, I am SO grateful to not live within Cook County. This video was well-thought out, but gut-wrenching to watch.