Mental Illness is Far too Prominent in Prisons

        According to the New York Times, as of July 2014, Rikers Prison has nearly 4,000 inmates (of the 11,000 total) suffering from a form of mental illness.  Most of these inmates' illnesses fail to be recognized and treated, and even if recognized, they cannot be forced into medication. Prisoners are known to hate themselves and those around them, have low self-respect, a multitude of self-disgust, and most commonly a lack of any form of connection with others (Gilligan). Inmates are far too commonly misunderstood and something should be done about this.