01 May Webinar: Vulnerable and Underserved: Victim Advocacy for Incarcerated Survivors with Mental Illness
From 2:00 PM until 3:30 PM
Just Detention International / www.justdetention.org
This webinar will focus on a segment of the U.S. prison population that has grown exponentially in recent decades — people with mental illness. About half of all people in jails and prisons suffer from mental illness, and only a small fraction of them receive the treatment they need. Worse still, corrections officials often fail to ensure their safety.
This webinar will look at the high rates of sexual abuse this population experiences, and the challenges that they face in accessing trauma-informed assistance. Additionally, presenters will highlight how to use the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards as a tool to advocate for prisoners with mental illness. A licensed clinical psychologist with expertise in jail and juvenile detention systems will provide practical guidance on how to serve incarcerated survivors with mental illness, including managing confidentiality and obtaining clinical support from the facility’s mental health staff.