May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Since its inception in 1949, Mental Health Awareness Month has been a cornerstone of addressing the challenges faced by millions of Americans living with mental health conditions. One of the less talked about topics is the intersection of incarceration and mental illness. According to NAMI National Alliance on Mental Illness, “About two in five people who are incarcerated have a history of mental illness (37% in state and federal prisons and 44% held in local jails). This is twice the prevalence of mental illness within the overall adult population. Given these rates, America’s jails and prisons have become de-facto mental health providers, at great cost to the well-being of people with mental health conditions.”

Cristina Mejia, Director of Justice Related Services, joins Mark and Shuja Moore, producer of the documentary, Pardon Me, join Mark to talk about this issue. Our JRS program collaborates to help adults with mental health challenges navigate the forensic system, whether currently incarcerated or navigating re-entry into the local community. There are many barriers to re-entry. A big one is having a criminal record. Using lived experience as a springboard in advocacy, Mark, Cristina and Shuja talk candidly about the implications of mental health and incarceration, the difficulties in breaking the cycle of recidivism and, in Shuja’s case, the long journey to be pardoned of previous crimes.