Institutionalized: Mental Health Behind Bars

James Burns is voluntarily spending 30 days in solitary confinement. Learn more at solitary.vice.com: http://bit.ly/2icVUGb
----

America’s relationship with its mentally ill population continues to suffer as a result of inadequacies in the country’s mental health care system.

For the mentally ill in Chicago, the effects of this inadequacy are felt on a magnified scale, as budget cuts and a lack of community-based mental health resources have left these individuals with minimal support. More often than not, this means being repeatedly swept up into the criminal justice system for low-level, non-violent crimes

VICE News takes an immersive look at this issue by going inside the Cook County Jail and speaking with community members on Chicago's south side.

Watch “Last Chance High” - http://bit.ly/1Gldj57

Watch "Migrant Prisons of Libya: Europe or Die (Full Length)” - http://bit.ly/1NYyaMA

Read "Chicagoans Are Stopped and Frisked by Police Even More Than New Yorkers” - http://bit.ly/1F6OvNV

Subscribe to VICE News here: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE-News

Check out VICE News for more: http://vicenews.com

Follow VICE News here:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vicenews
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vicenews
Tumblr: http://vicenews.tumblr.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/vicenews
More videos from the VICE network: https://www.fb.com/vicevideos