Mental Illness in Prisons

An estimated 45 percent of federal prisoners suffer from some form of mental illness; that number is even higher in state prisons and local jails. This article, originally published on NPR.org, highlights Cook County Jail in Illinois. Its mental health programs are regarded as some of the best and most innovative in the nation, but they still face high recidivism rates and staff stretched too thin. Stark colors, geometric typefaces, and photographic imagery all seek to convey the harshness of imprisonment and the insufficient, barebones mental health system that leaves so many people behind bars instead of in hospitals.