From Sen. Amanda Ragan –
State correction officials recently shared with the Senate Judiciary Committee that Iowa prisons are the largest mental health facilities in the state. More than 50 percent of Iowa’s inmates suffer from mental illness or substance abuse disorders. In many cases, those health problems contributed to the inmate’s trouble with the law in the first place. With proper mental health and substance abuse treatment, officials say these inmates can become contributing members of society and safely reenter their communities after serving their sentences.
Even more important: effective, accessible mental health services can prevent many people from entering the criminal justice system. That is why improved public safety is one of benefits of Iowa’s ongoing effort to ensure mental health services are available to Iowans in all parts of our state.