Those with mental illness make up a disproportionate amount of the people in our nation's prison system and it would actually save us money to treat it before it reaches our prisons. In a study conducted in Florida, over the period of 2005-2012 patients that did not receive mental health care from the state costed the state on average $95,000 while those that did only cost the state around $68,000. This study also notes that 70% of all young people in the juvenile detention system in the US have some form of mental illness.
Kirchner, Lauren . "Treating Mental Illness Prevents Crime and Saves Us Money." Pacific Standard. Pacific Standard , 14 June 2013. Web. 11 Nov. 2013. <http://www.psmag.com/health/treating-mental-illness-prevents-crime-and-saves-us-money-60236/>.
No comments:
Post a Comment