Insane: America’s Criminal Treatment Of Mental Illness

The United States has the largest population of prisoners in the world: at present, nearly 2.2 million adults are inside correctional facilities. The incarcerated are disproportionately African-American and Latinx, and nearly half have been diagnosed with a mental illness. In her book Insane: America’s Criminal Treatment of Mental Illness, journalist Alisa Roth reports on the lack of care available to these vulnerable populations, and describes the abuse and punishment that exacerbates their illnesses. This conversation between Roth and Eyal Press took place at Book Culture on April 24, 2018. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit harpersmagazine.substack.com