Topic for Inquiry Contract

I read an article on the problem of jails becoming crowded with mentally ill inmates due to the shutting down of many state hospitals. I found the information interesting but also horrifying so I read a book on it. Pete Earley, a journalist, wrote the book "Crazy" which was a combination of his own story about his son and also his own research. He focused on the Miami Dade County Jail, which houses the most mentally ill patients in one facility, and talked with staff at the jail, doctors, judges, law enforcement officers, and inmates. The conditions are far from optimal and in some ways inhumane. Inmates are first prescribed medication from which the jail has connections with the manufacturer even if that is not what is needed. Many people suffering from mental illness get pushed through the "revolving doors" of the jail because of repeat offenses which can be linked to insufficient or nonexistent treatment. Although many officers are trained to deal with such people, there are still many unnecessary altercations and tragedies that occur due to a lack of knowledge and training. According to the Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, there are currently 1.25 million inmates suffering from some type of disorder. Because of deinstitutionalization, jails have become mental hospitals where inmates are not receiving appropriate treatment.