Mental Health Book Review: Insane: America’s Criminal Treatment of Mental Illness by Alisa Roth

Overall Rating:

The Mental Health Book Club Podcast enjoyed this book, Becky gave it 5* and Sydney gave it 4*.

This book blows open the way America treats the mentally ill in their justice system, from encounters with the police to standing in front of the judges, to being in prison. The stories Alisa chose will break your heart and shock your core, yet they are only the tip of the iceberg of examples.

This book is thoroughly researched and open about the limits it had when accessing the system. Alisa details not just the problems but goes through any solutions she came across as well. The depth of information in this book is vast and to its credit.

This book not only questions the American justice system but makes the reader question what is going on in their own country. Being British Becky and Sydney did just that. Reducing the stigma and improving the treatment of the mentally ill could reduce those within the justice system.

We recommend you read this book as it will show you that any one of us could end up in some of these situations.

Find our full review and interview with Alisa at www.mentalhealthbookclub.com, on iTunes or where ever you get your podcasts.

Interview 5 – Alisa Roth Author of Insane: America’s Criminal Treatment of Mental Illness

Find out more at www.mentalhealthbookclub.com

Trigger warning: this podcast discusses self-harm, prisons, justice system, suicide and poor treatment of mental illness.

Get the book here

It was an absolute pleasure to speak to Alisa Roth author of Insane: America’s criminal Treatment of Mental Illness. We could have talked for hours about Alisa’s book, we think this interview is fascinating but at times the conversation is graphic.

Follow Alisa Roth:

Twitter : @alisa_roth

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alisa.roth.90

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisa_roth_reporter/

Alisa Roth’s Website

 

If you feel suicidal call 999 immediately.

If you need to talk you can contact:

Samaritans on:

116 123 (UK)
116 123 (ROI)
Find out more at their website http://bit.ly/2wMpKZ5

Mental Health Resources:

Rethink Mental Illness

0121 522 7007
http://bit.ly/1s7txdq

Mind The Mental Health Charity

Infoline: 0300 123 3393 (Our lines are open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays)
Text: 86463
http://bit.ly/2p6rntK

Social Media

Twitter:

Becky: @BLawrence85

Sydney: @sydney_timmins

Podcast: @MHBC_Podcast

Facebook

Podcast: https://www.facebook.com/MHBCpodcast/

Sydney: https://www.facebook.com/Sydney-Timmins-1695774814065575/

Episode 48 – Insane America’s Criminal Treatment of Mental Illness by Alisa Roth Pt 3

Find out more at www.mentalhealthbookclub.com

Trigger warning: this podcast discusses police shootings, self-harm, body fluids and suicide.

Get our next book here

If you feel suicidal call 999 immediately.

*Sponsor*

Happiful Magazine

Thanks to the lovely people at Happiful Magazine who have sponsored Sydney to attend the Mental Health First Aid Course this July.  We will be bringing you some special episodes on the course as Becky has completed the young people’s Mental Health First Aid Course.

If you haven’t heard of Happiful Magazine before here is what they are trying to do:

Their mission is to create a healthier, happier, more sustainable society. Aiming to provide informative, inspiring and topical stories about mental health and wellbeing. They want to break the stigma of mental health in society, and to shine a light on the positivity and support that should be available for everyone, no matter their situation. The e-magazine is free. Hard copies are available, see their website for more details.

If you need to talk you can contact:

Samaritans on:

Mental Health Resources:

Rethink Mental Illness

Mind The Mental Health Charity

  • Infoline: 0300 123 3393 (Our lines are open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays)
  • Text: 86463
  • http://bit.ly/2p6rntK

Social Media

Twitter:

Becky: @BLawrence85

Sydney: @sydney_timmins

The Secret Psychiatrist: @thesecretpsych

Podcast: @MHBC_Podcast

Facebook

Podcast: https://www.facebook.com/MHBCpodcast/

Sydney: https://www.facebook.com/Sydney-Timmins-1695774814065575/

Episode 48 – Insane America’s Criminal Treatment of Mental Illness by Alisa Roth Pt 2

Find out more at www.mentalhealthbookclub.com

Trigger warning: this podcast discusses police shootings, self-harm, body fluids and suicide.

Get our next book here

If you feel suicidal call 999 immediately.

*Sponsor*

Happiful Magazine

Thanks to the lovely people at Happiful Magazine who have sponsored Sydney to attend the Mental Health First Aid Course this July.  We will be bringing you some special episodes on the course as Becky has completed the young people’s Mental Health First Aid Course.

If you haven’t heard of Happiful Magazine before here is what they are trying to do:

Their mission is to create a healthier, happier, more sustainable society. Aiming to provide informative, inspiring and topical stories about mental health and wellbeing. They want to break the stigma of mental health in society, and to shine a light on the positivity and support that should be available for everyone, no matter their situation. The e-magazine is free. Hard copies are available, see their website for more details.

TV Documentries

Live and Death Row – BBC

Cruel and Unusual – Channel 4

If you need to talk you can contact:

Samaritans on:

Mental Health Resources:

Rethink Mental Illness

Mind The Mental Health Charity

  • Infoline: 0300 123 3393 (Our lines are open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays)
  • Text: 86463
  • http://bit.ly/2p6rntK

Social Media

Twitter:

Becky: @BLawrence85

Sydney: @sydney_timmins

The Secret Psychiatrist: @thesecretpsych

Podcast: @MHBC_Podcast

Facebook

Podcast: https://www.facebook.com/MHBCpodcast/

Sydney: https://www.facebook.com/Sydney-Timmins-1695774814065575/

Episode 48 – Insane America’s Criminal Treatment of Mental Illness by Alisa Roth Pt 1

Find out more at www.mentalhealthbookclub.com

Trigger warning: this podcast discusses police shootings, self-harm, body fluids and suicide.

Get our next book here

If you feel suicidal call 999 immediately.

*Sponsor*

Happiful Magazine

Thanks to the lovely people at Happiful Magazine who have sponsored Sydney to attend the Mental Health First Aid Course this July.  We will be bringing you some special episodes on the course as Becky has completed the young people’s Mental Health First Aid Course.

If you haven’t heard of Happiful Magazine before here is what they are trying to do:

Their mission is to create a healthier, happier, more sustainable society. Aiming to provide informative, inspiring and topical stories about mental health and wellbeing. They want to break the stigma of mental health in society, and to shine a light on the positivity and support that should be available for everyone, no matter their situation. The e-magazine is free. Hard copies are available, see their website for more details.

If you need to talk you can contact:

Samaritans on:

Mental Health Resources:

Rethink Mental Illness

Mind The Mental Health Charity

  • Infoline: 0300 123 3393 (Our lines are open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays)
  • Text: 86463
  • http://bit.ly/2p6rntK

Social Media

Twitter:

Becky: @BLawrence85

Sydney: @sydney_timmins

The Secret Psychiatrist: @thesecretpsych

Podcast: @MHBC_Podcast

Facebook

Podcast: https://www.facebook.com/MHBCpodcast/

Sydney: https://www.facebook.com/Sydney-Timmins-1695774814065575/

Book 20 – Insane: America’s Criminal Treatment of Mental Illness by Alisa Roth

An urgent exposé of the mental health crisis in our courts, jails, and prisons

America has made mental illness a crime. Jails in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago each house more people with mental illnesses than any hospital. As many as half of all people in America’s jails and prisons have a psychiatric disorder. One in four fatal police shootings involves a person with such disorders.

In this revelatory book, journalist Alisa Roth goes deep inside the criminal justice system to show how and why it has become a warehouse where inmates are denied proper treatment, abused, and punished in ways that make them sicker.

Through intimate stories of people in the system and those trying to fix it, Roth reveals the hidden forces behind this crisis and suggests how a fairer and more humane approach might look. Insane is a galvanizing wake-up call for criminal justice reformers and anyone concerned about the plight of our most vulnerable.