Check out this excellent article from the Christian Science Monitor about an innovative program being pioneered in the Los Angeles County jail system addressing mental health:

From LA jail, two inmates pioneer care for mentally ill peers

The results are beyond the expectations of everyone, from a top assistant sheriff for the county to the mental health professionals. Self-harming is six times less, compared with other units, according to Ms. Hubbell. Discharging the incarcerated men from the forensic inpatient hospital to this program, known as Forensic Inpatient (FIP) Stepdown, has reduced returns to the hospital by 35%. Beyond the data, you can see the difference in the patients’ eyes and relaxed faces, she says. Outside their cells they are uncuffed (a deputy is always present), attending group therapy, and working as a team on “double scrub” Mondays, when Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Berumen assign chores to clean the two-story pods from top to bottom.

Read the entire article here: https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2021/0518/From-LA-jail-two-inmates-pioneer-care-for-mentally-ill-peers

Photo of Twin Towers facility CC BY-SA 3.0 – Jjz3d83

Over 30% of all inmates in California prisons and jails are being treated for a “serious mental illness.” While the issue is largely unreported, it’s an ever-growing concern in State and county institutions.

In this video, you are about to hear of an inmate who was being prescribed numerous “psych-meds” by the prison doctors. After meeting with Chaplain Angela for answers to his many questions about Christian Science–and following his own study–this man experienced an amazing transformation. You’ll want to share this story with your friends!

Your prayers can make a real difference. And your comments are always welcome. For those of you who have shared before, well, please share again!

You may know someone suffering from a mental health issue. Unfortunately it’s not uncommon. It’s a disease that isolates and stigmatizes people and stresses relations in families.

The video you’re about to watch shows a very different method for treating mental illness.

It’s a method you could call, “enlightened prayer.”

Briefly, the situation involves a Christian Science Chaplain by the name of John. And it also involves a female patient residing in a high security mental hospital.

During their visit the need for prayer soon becomes apparent–as you’ll see.

But it’s how God quickly answers those prayers that makes this story worth watching.

We love sharing stories that defy human logic. Especially stories that prove—once again—that “nothing is impossible to God.”

Ready to be inspired? Then watch this amazing story, as told by Christian Science Chaplain Dave. It features a man serving time in a California State Prison who has been deaf in one ear for many years. And now isn’t.

In fact the doctors at the prison pronounced the man’s hearing to be perfect in the once deaf ear. And the man is now happily able to join, and communicate with, the general population as a result.

How could something as improbable as this happen when there is no human remedy for deafness available? In a word, prayer.

In this man’s case his prayers did not involve speaking words to God…but rather listening deeply to God. And then hearing God. It was “hearing” God that made all the difference. But let Chaplain Dave tell you the story. It’s not very long. But it’s definitely worth your time.

You know we produce these video interviews with our Chaplains not only to showcase their amazing stories but to lift your spirits and inspire you too. And we fully expect these monthly videos to encourage you to turn to God and there find guidance, peace and yes, even healing.

We’ve also just released our second video interview in our new “Interfaith Series.” In this series we interview people of all different faith traditions who are ministering to people in our prisons and jails. It’s our way of building bridges and opening constructive dialogue among those of differing faith traditions.

In this installment we interview Walt Opie, Executive Director of the Buddhist Pathways Prison Project, Inc., headquartered in Sacramento. Buddhism is one of the world’s oldest religions with much wisdom to share. Walt and his group are doing much good in the prisons. And we hope you enjoy what Walt has to share.

As always we invite you to feel free to leave a comment or tell your own story. We really do love hearing from you.

We just published an interview with Chaplain Brian about a diagnosed and treated mentally ill inmate he had been seeing for the past 8 years. This particular inmate is no longer being treated for mental illness after studying Christian Science in prison and working with Chaplain Brian.  There are literally tens of thousands of inmates in the system who are not so fortunate.

The complete report will take a little while to read — and is hard to stomach.  But Stanford Law School’s “Three Strikes Project” has published an in-depth look at this problem that describes in detail the problems facing the system, including investigating causes and potential solutions.

We can no longer ignore the massive oppression we are inflicting upon the mentally ill throughout the United States. Over a century ago, Dorothea Dix began a movement to improve the deplorable conditions of mentally ill prisoners. Despite her success in changing the country’s perception and treatment of the mentally ill in prison, we are now right back where we started in the nineteenth century. Although deinstitutionalization was originally understood as a humane way to offer more suitable services to the mentally ill in community-based settings, some politicians seized upon it as a way to save money by shutting down institutions without providing any meaningful treatment alternatives. This callousness has created a one-way road to prison for massive numbers of impaired individuals and the inhumane warehousing of thousands of mentally ill people.

We have created conditions that make criminal behavior all but inevitable for many of our brothers and sisters who are mentally ill. Instead of treating them, we are imprisoning them. And then, when they have completed their sentences, we release them with minimal or no support system in place, just counting the days until they are behind bars once again. This practice of seeking to save money on the backs of this population comes with huge moral and fiscal cost. It is ineffective because we spend far more on imprisonment of the mentally ill than we would otherwise spend on treatment and support. It is immoral because writing off another human being’s life is utterly contrary to our collective values and principles.

The numbers are staggering: over the past 15 years, the number of mentally ill people in prison in California has almost doubled. Today, 45 percent of state prison inmates have been treated for severe mental illness within the past year. The Los Angeles County Jail is “the largest mental health provider in the county,” according to the former official in charge of the facility.

Please take the time to download and read their report (22 pages, PDF), and give this your prayerful support.

PDF report: http://law.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/default/files/child-page/632655/doc/slspublic/Report_v12.pdf

Share insights about how you’re praying: