The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog

ALBANY -- In response to long-standing calls for better treatment for the most vulnerable segment of the prison population, Gov. Eliot Spitzer proposes to increase state spending by $60 million over three years on services for mentally ill inmates.

The proposal was praised by advocacy groups that say it signals a heightened commitment toward humane care of prisoners with severe psychiatric needs.

"This is a long-awaited, very encouraging initiative," said Harvey Rosenthal, who heads the New York Association for Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services.

"It's very refreshing for the governor to take such a clear position on behalf of inmates with serious mental illness," said Bob Corliss, associate director of NAMI-New York, the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Spitzer's budget includes $2.3 million this year in Office of Mental Health funding to screen all prisoners for mental illness and enhance treatment. He proposed increasing that allocation to $6 million next year and $9 million in 2009.

In addition, Spitzer is seeking $50 million in capital funds in the Department of Correctional Services budget to overhaul prison design to create more therapeutic spaces to house mentally ill inmates. It would also improve training for correction officers and pay for additional services, such as help in preparing mentally ill inmates for the transition to life after incarceration.

Linda Foglia, a DOCS spokeswoman, declined to comment on Spitzer's budget proposal.

About 8,000 of the state's 63,000 inmates have been diagnosed with serious mental illness, according to studies by the Correctional Association of New York, a watchdog group.

Such inmates are often confined for acting out to special housing units, known as "The Box," sometimes for months or years. Once in The Box, they purposely injure themselves and commit suicide at a rate three times higher than other prisoners in solitary, data has shown.

Mentally ill inmates also face exceptionally high rates of recidivism because they commonly are released straight from the solitary confinement of The Box into the community with little preparation.

"The additional funding the governor proposed is certainly a very welcome first step," said Bob Gangi, executive director of the Correctional Association of New York.

Gangi and other advocates called on Spitzer to support a bill that passed both houses of the state Legislature but was vetoed by Gov. George Pataki. That landmark legislation would prohibit placing mentally ill inmates in solitary confinement for any reason.

The advocacy groups have joined an ongoing lawsuit in federal court to ban the practice in New York.

"We are still pushing for that bill to pass both houses again and to be signed this time by the governor in order to provide the proper structure to carry out needed reforms," Corliss said.

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=562100&category=STATE&BCC
ode=&newsdate=2/11/2007