GA's top judge tackles problem of mentally ill prisoners

Georgia's top judge wants to find a way to tackle the growing problem of mentally illness among Georgia prisoners.

Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears joins other top judges in a national discussion in Atlanta this week over what to do with the increasing number of mentally ill prisoners.

The Georgia Department of Corrections reports that 14-percent of men and nearly half of the women behind bars suffer some form of mental illness, ranging from bi-polar disease, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia to clinical depression.

And most are drug or alcohol addicted.

The task force has not come up with any definitive plans for treating mentally ill inmates.

However, strategies being considered include screening for mental health problems at the time of arrest and training prison staffers to recognize and treat mental illness.


Statistics: GA Department of Corrections:
*Inmates in Georgia Prisons: 52,000 (MALES: 48,922; FEMALES: 3,572)
*Mentally Ill Prisoners: MALES 6,604 13.5%; FEMALES 1,765 49.5%
*Drug or Alcohol Addicted Inmates: MALES 57% FEMALES 58%