Letters: How can we better help those with a mental illness who face incarceration?

Chicago Tribune

01-03-2025

With the United States leading the democratic world in incarceration rates, it seems that our country's criminal justice system has become a revolving door for individuals experiencing mental illness. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, about 40% of those incarcerated have a history of mental illness, and approximately two-thirds of inmates with mental health diagnoses fail to receive mental health treatment while incarcerated.
As a nation, we must do better to support improved outcomes at the intersection of mental health and the criminal justice system.
Being diagnosed with a mental illness is not a criminal offense, yet it often feels criminalized. Many times, when a person experiences a mental health crisis, law enforcement becomes involved, which can lead to an unnecessary arrest instead of a referral for treatment. Then, once a person is incarcerated, there are even more barriers to treatment. Furthermore, prison conditions, particularly the use of solitary confinement, can exacerbate symptoms.
We must transition away from punitive measures to rehabilitative ones promoting care and dignity. This can be done by expanding funding for criminal justice diversion programs. These programs aim to assess the underlying issues contributing to criminal actions and then require engagement in programs and services identified to meet a person's needs, in lieu of serving time. Illinois is currently in a position to expand this through HB0044, a measure that would create the Community-Based Corrections Act. This would allow the judicial system to sentence individuals to a community-based program that would include housing, mental health therapy, vocational training and restorative justice.
HB0044 would help bring meaningful change to Illinois by taking steps to reform the criminal justice system. I urge all readers to contact their state representatives and senators to advocate for legislative support for this bill.
— Jamie Goff, Oblong, Illinois
We need a city charter
State Rep. Kam Buckner's call to create a charter for the city of Chicago is exactly the type of leadership and guidance we need, not only in this city but also in our country ('A city charter is the reform Chicago actually needs, not recall powers,' Feb. 23).
During these times of immense uncertainty, the need for nonpartisan guardrails is something all Chicagoans can get behind. The creation of a city charter would not only benefit the city in the present but also would protect Chicago for future generations to come.
I applaud Buckner for his desire to create a sustainable and consistent Chicago.
— Will Brach, Chicago
UIC Circle campus
Thank you for the Vintage Tribune article 'When campus opened to students' (Feb. 23). I finished my freshman year at Navy Pier and transferred to the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle campus when it opened. I was a Circle Guide helping students orient themselves in this vast expanse of steel and concrete.
It was an ugly campus, very little greenery in sight, built for the hardworking commuter students. My dear friend Anne once walked out of her shoe as the mud and muck sucked it from her. The student union building, featuring experimental architectural, smaller at the bottom and getting larger as you ascended the floors, was the only place that had any warmth. But we were all finding our way in this new environment.
My theater classes were at the 11th Street Theater, my physical education classes at the Duncan YMCA, and our fun at Smoky Joe's and Maxwell Street Market. I often ate my lunch in one of the women's restrooms because there was really no place to go.
After I graduated in 1968, I did not return until my daughter received her master's degree from the UIC's Jane Addams College of Social Work in 2006. What a welcome surprise. I saw a massive and fully developed, real campus. I'm glad I was there at the beginning, pioneering a new idea for what has continued to be a great university.
— Charlene Gelber, Northbrook
Wonders of the sea
As a retired scuba diver, I thoroughly enjoyed the piece on the wonderful Shedd Aquarium ('Shedd Aquarium's renovations honor the original buildings,' Feb. 23). I was at the Shedd recently and was in awe at the incredible exhibits. Almost like being there!
I hope Chicagoans and visitors go and enjoy the wonders that exist under the sea.
— Carole Bogaard, Oak Lawn
Hurrah for Hounds
I am grateful to the Tribune Editorial Board, not just for promoting the 2025 rugby rematch of Ireland and New Zealand, but also for including the mere mention of the Chicago Hounds rugby team ('A great rugby rivalry, with Soldier Field as the stage,' Feb. 23).
I was in Soldier Field for the historic 2016 game between Ireland and New Zealand. My interest in the sport germinated after watching the televised game between the All Blacks and the overmatched USA Eagles in 2014. Speaking of overmatched, I was in Soldier Field again when Italy's rugby team was overwhelmed by Ireland in 2018, as usually happens annually in the Six Nations tournament, now in progress on the other side of the pond.
The Chicago Hounds opened their inaugural season in 2023. That year, I went to two games in SeatGeek Stadium. The Hounds did not finish in last place, and the U.S. Major League Rugby association held the national championship game in Bridgeview. In 2024, the team made the playoffs.
This is my second year as a season ticket holder, and even though I still don't know all the rules, I planned to be in my seat for the season home opener against Utah.
As a longtime Tribune subscriber, I hadn't yet read a word in the newspaper about the Chicago Hounds, but there a mention was in the editorial for the Ireland-New Zealand rematch. In advance of the 2031 Rugby World Cup in the U.S., the Tribune could help plow the field by promoting the sport and the World Cup with news in the sports section — perhaps the MLR box scores and definitely more about the Hounds.
— Chris Donovan, Oak Park