Today, more than 2.4 million Americans are incarcerated in prisons and jails. Over 1 million of those inmates - more than half of the entire prison population - suffer from some form of mental illness.
This is Crazy: Criminalizing Mental Health is a three-part documentary series which highlights stories of individuals with mental illnesses who have found themselves in a dysfunctional prison system rather than getting proper care.
Brave New Films partnered with the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Grassroots Leadership, Shields for Families, Community Access, St. Joseph’s Behavioral Health Center, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness to bring more attention to the great harm incarcerating those with mental illness does not only to the individual, but to the community and country as a whole. Through personal interviews with community leaders, city officials, and formerly incarcerated individuals, this series not only shows the inhumanity of putting those with mental illness behind bars, but offers real-world, cost-saving alternatives.
The film has been shown to law enforcement agencies, legislators, and activists throughout the country as part of a push to end the criminalization at the local, state, and federal level of those with mental illness.
Sign up to screen this film for free with your organization, faith group or school and we will provide you with a screening and discussion guide with background information, facts, and immediate actions to take.
Part One: BeforeHow someone having a mental health crisis ends up behind bars. |
Part Two: DuringHarsh realities and treatment while incarcerated. |
Part Three: AfterCoping after release isn't easy. |