Mental illness in the prison system: a perspective from the prison technical committee of Tamaulipas, Mexico

Abstract

The prevalence of mental disorders in prisons is a growing phenomenon involving various social actors, the health of persons deprived of liberty and the functioning of penitentiary institutions. The objective of this study is to describe the challenges and strategies implemented by the members of the Technical Committees (TC) to attend, evaluate and monitor the prison treatment of persons deprived of liberty with mental disorders in the CEDES of the state of Tamaulipas. Through semi-structured interviews applied to the personnel of the Technical Committees of state penitentiaries, it was found that one of the main obstacles to the care of this social group is the lack of psychiatrists, as well as specialized personnel for their care; therefore, the staff develops various strategies to meet the requirements of this social group in occupational therapy, primary care and pharmacotherapy.

Keywords

• mental health
• vulnerable groups
• public security
• prisons
• mental disorders