Beyond Prisons — Episode 26: John Gillespie Jr. (aka swim.)
Poet, musician, and PhD student John Gillespie Jr. (aka swim.) joins Beyond Prisons to discuss his art and scholarship around suicide in the Black community.
If Chelsea Manning Had Been Home When Police Broke Into Her Home For ‘Wellness’ Check
Video obtained by the Intercept showed police breaking into Chelsea Manning’s home to conduct a “wellness” check. Fortunately, she was not home.
Beyond Prisons — Episode 14: Mental Health And The Community feat. Devyn Springer (Part 1)
Artist, writer, and organizer Devyn Springer talks about his work with mental health response networks in Atlanta.
LISTEN: Mary Buser’s “Lockdown On Rikers” Chat
A conversation between Brian Sonenstein and Mary E. Buser, author of “Lockdown on Rikers” about solitary confinement and mental health on NYC’s jail island.
From Psilocybin To MDMA: Researchers Are In The Throes Of A Psychedelic Revival
U.S. scientists are finally investigating whether psychedelic drugs from MDMA to magic mushrooms can help ease depression, anxiety, PTSD and even addiction.
Attitudes Toward Treatment Limit Chicago’s Former Youth Inmates’ Access To Health Care
Only 15.4% of detainees with mental health disorders receive treatment. 31% of former youth prisoners were not sure where to go for treatment.
New York City Council Adopts Eight Bills For Transparency, Oversight Of Jails
Last week, the New York City Council sent eight bills to Mayor Bill DeBlasio’s desk aimed at bringing greater transparency to the city’s jails. The wave of legislation was introduced this past spring and its passage marks the latest efforts by the city to reign in the brutal culture of violence and impunity that has reigned inside its jails for years.
Former Chicago Juvenile Inmates Have High Rates of Substance Abuse, Psychiatric Disorders, Study Finds
Formerly incarcerated youth in Cook County, Chicago, were diagnosed with psychiatric disorders at a rate higher than that of the general population, according to new research. The research also found Black former juvenile inmates had lower prevalence rates for psychiatric and substance abuse disorders over time than compared to whites and Hispanics, despite the fact that they constitute a disproportionately larger segment of the incarcerated population.
Black Women With Mental Illness Suffer Horrific Abuses In LA County Jails
On the heels of the Justice Department’s settlement agreement forcing Los Angeles County jails to adopt a number of reforms aimed at improving conditions for inmates, a new report by Dignity and Power Now explores the horrifying human rights abuses endured by black female inmates in the county. The report, entitled “Breaking the Silence,” features the testimonies of seven formerly incarcerated women and two former psychiatric workers from the county.
Kentucky Police Indicted After Sending Mentally Ill Inmate on One-Way Trip to Florida
A local police chief and an officer in Carrollton County, Kentucky, were indicted by a grand jury this week after allegedly placing a 31-year-old mentally ill inmate on a bus to Florida instead of taking him to the hospital for a court-ordered psychological evaluation. Attorney General for the state of Kentucky Jack Conway said in a press release today that officers Ronald Dickow and Michael Willhoite were indicted on charges of kidnapping and official misconduct.