Incarceration causes and worsens mental illness symptoms. A briefing on incarceration and mental health from Prison Policy Initiative showed that separation from family, friends, and communities can further harm health for people in jails and prisons. Loss of purpose, control over their lives, and unpredictability add onto often poor conditions, like overcrowding, violence, and solitary confinement. People who have mental health disorders already make up a large portion of people in jails and prisons, and this MacArthur-supported report demonstrates further harm from jailing.
