California has changed policies to improve treatment for mentally ill inmates, officials have announced. The action is in response to a federal court order.
“This is a very significant reform of the disciplinary process for prisoners with mental illness,” said Michael Bien, an attorney for the mentally ill prisoners who brought the legal action.
The change means mentally ill inmates who create problems will get counseling rather that going automatically to isolation cells or staying in prison longer.
The alternative treatment program was implemented after a federal judge ruled a year ago that its current procedure was unconstitutional and violated protection against cruel and unusual punishment.
U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton acted after the release of video made by correctional officers, showing guards pumping pepper spray into cells of mentally ill inmates, some screaming and delirious. The tactic was used on one inmate who refused to take his medication.
Court-appointed monitor Matthew Lopez found that for more than seven years the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation failed to follow court-directed policy on evaluating mentally ill inmates.
Bien credited CDCR Secretary Jeffrey Beard for making policy changes without waiting for another court order. In August the prisons agreed to create specialized housing and provide more treatment for mentally ill inmates.
