Allegations have surfaced that a mentally ill inmate was mistreated while in solitary confinement at a North Carolina prison. He was allegedly doused with pepper spray after an altercation with guards and is pressing charges.
North Carolina taxpayers fund the prison system and cannot tolerate mistreatment of mentally ill inmates. It is inhumane, and a blemish on a system that already faces scrutiny.
Because of the inmate’s mental health, the situation brings up questions of how these inmates should be treated — and if a prison is the appropriate environment for them at all.
While a facility that focuses on wellness and rehabilitation would ultimately be the best option for a mentally ill inmate, in reality the only thing that could be changed right away is the way the prison guards are trained.
Though officials claim that there is sufficient training done already, that instruction must do the utmost to stress the appropriate measures to take with the mentally ill.
Guards cannot be expected to naturally react accordingly to a prisoner with a history of mental illness during daily procedures, so an overall change may be necessary.
Guards could begin to respond to intolerable behavior with methods that do not directly endanger the health of the inmate.
Regardless of the mental health of the inmates, guards should be taught to treat inmates as humans.
The North Carolina Department of Corrections must take this lawsuit seriously, and take steps to right the wrongs done to this inmate if allegations are found to be valid, as well as proactively enact procedures that can prevent a similar instance in the future.
