prison – Delight in Disorder

Addictions and SMI go hand in hand by Audrey A.

Audrey writes: I was an active advocate for family members and for those suffering Serious Mental Illness in central Kansas. husband I also facilitated a NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness) support group, and taught Family to Family education classes for family members of the mentally ill. My husband and I have retired to the state of Oklahoma, nearer to family. I continue to advocate for change in the laws regarding SMI by way of online advocacy groups. My husband and I sat quietly, but anxiously, in the crowded courtroom, waiting the Judge's entrance. The judge who would decide our 19 year old son's fate for the next several years. We whispered words of comfort to each other, shared nervous giggles and tried to remain calm, as we waited. This was our final trip to the local county courthouse. We had hired an attorney to defend our son on his [...]

Addictions and SMI go hand in hand by Audrey A.tonyroberts2021-01-27T05:28:41-05:00

Imprisoning the Mind

In her article "Incarceration of the Mentally Ill: A National Crisis", Dr. Susan Lockwood Roberts of Nexus Point Consulting writes, I wonder what it would be like if we treated people with mental illness the same way we treated people with cancer, or asthma, or Parkinson's disease, or any other type of chronic illness? We recognize physical diseases as debilitating and we find ways to support individuals who suffer with these diagnoses. On the other hand, we tend to be more cautious about people with mental illnesses. Most of us don't have the knowledge or ability to attend to these individuals, and often they are difficult to manage. When a person with a mental illness is in crisis, it isn't unusual for him to commit an act that gets him arrested. Once he is in jail, his condition deteriorates because he isn't provided with the care he needs, and [...]

Imprisoning the Mindtonyroberts2019-01-13T21:00:40-05:00

Revealing Voices — Dr. Susan Lockwood, author of Kicked to the Curb

I'm excited about our most recent recent Revealing Voices episode for a number of reasons. For one, it is our first foray into the intersection of mental illness and criminal justice, particularly the prison system. Studies show that on any given day fully 10 times as many persons with severe mental illness are in prisons than in psychiatric hospitals. Secondly, our guest, Dr. Susan Lockwood, is uniquely qualified to address issues related to correctional education, particularly for youth. She served 34 years as an educator, first in the public school system, then with youth who were incarcerated, and finally as Director of Juvenile Education at the Indiana Department of Correction. Currently, she is the owner of Nexus Point Consulting, LLC, specializing in correctional education and workforce development, and the Director of Education Strategy for American Prison Data Systems (APDS.) She also serves as President of the national organization, Correctional Education Association (CEA.) [...]

Revealing Voices — Dr. Susan Lockwood, author of Kicked to the Curbtonyroberts2018-11-25T21:23:31-05:00