2018 NLADA Annual Conference--Resilient Justice

More than one-third of all prisoners in the U.S. have a mental illness. There are more people with mental illnesses in prison than there are in hospitals and nursing homes, yet prison is a toxic environment for people with mental illness. This workshop will explore this issue from three different angles. First, there will be a discussion of what criminal defense attorneys should know about mental health care in prisons and jails so that they can properly advise their clients of the consequences of a plea and so that they understand the impact prison has had on any clients who were formerly incarcerated. Second, there will be a discussion of the various strategies, including litigation and policy work, that are being used to try and ensure that people with mental illnesses are provided the treatment they need while in prison. Third, there will be a discussion of how incarceration affects the ability of people with a mental illness to navigate the world upon release, how their incarceration may affect eligibility for Social Security disability or other governmental programs, their need for accommodations required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other similar issues.