Dana Almberg

A. Abstract

The topic of my paper is mental illness in the prison system. I will be discussing the lack

of solid, sustainable infrastructure to help the mentally ill. My paper and project will

discuss the history of mental health law and reform and explain the current system and its

flaws. The strain these deficits place on both the improperly equipped legal professionals

and the underserved mentally ill will be a major focus of my project. For my project, I

will hold a seminar with at least two speakers: a psychiatrist and correctional officer. I

will also work with the Treatment Advocacy Center to help push for an increase in

psychiatric beds in Virginia. The Treatment Advocacy Center lobbies for better laws

relating to the mentally ill so I will be able to work with them to help get support for a

law in Virginia to lessen this issue. My purpose for this seminar will be to heighten

awareness of a problem with the laws and available infrastructure within the legal system

for the mentally ill and help to improve this problem by pushing for a law that will allow

for more effective treatment of the mentally ill outside of prisons. I will hold my project

in mid-march in a conference room at the library. My audience will be students in the

Criminal Justice and Psychology classes. The title of my paper and project will be The

New Asylum. The success of my project will be evaluated by the attendance to my

seminar and a survey. My consultant will be Mr. Spruill. The following questions will

drive my research:

What sort of treatment does a person with mental illness who doesnt have the money

for private care normally receive?

What is the history of treatment for mental illness?

What are possible solutions to improve care of the mentally ill?

 What sort of training do police officers and jailers receive to deal with mental

illness?

What are the current laws regarding the mentally ill?

What would be the cost of creating an effective infrastructure to deal with mental

illness compare to cost of current system of ER boarding and prison cycle?

B. Learning Skills

New Skills:

Organizing an event
Attracting speakers
Advertising for an audience

Enhanced Skills

Public Speaking
Organizational Skills
Time Management

C. Marketing Plan/Facilities/Audience

I will use a Virginia Beach library conference room for my project. I will market for my

project at the libraries and school using fliers and morning announcements. I will

advertise using word-of-mouth and fliers. My target audience is the Criminal Justice and

Psychology classes, who are learning about issues that tie into my project. I will negotiate

with the teachers of these classes to give extra credit for attending my seminar. Because

my project is on the incarceration of the mentally ill, people interested in these classes

should be interested in my seminar which shows a real-life issue associated with the

material in these classes. The issues that my speakers and I will be discussing will

involve information about the criminal justice system, the insanity defense, legal
protections of the mentally ill and where they fall short, and the effects of severe

psychological illness, which are all very relevant to the students in these classes.

D. Project Steps

Preliminary Secure venue, find speakers, create storyboard and 5 hours

Steps presentation

Midway Steps Practice presentation, confirm venue, confirm speakers, 7 hours

rehearse, create agenda

Later Steps Practice run through, gather necessary materials, finalize 6 hours
presentation

Follow Up Thank you notes, clean up, analyze survey 2 hours

Total 20
hours
E. Project Documentation

I will document my project primarily through photos, the blog, and the time log. My

documentation will also include talking points for the seminar and a video that will be

shown at the seminar. I will have fliers and other advertisements for my seminar as well

as emails related to booking venues and speakers.

F. Project Justification

My project is a reach for me because I have never done any sort of presentation outside

of a class setting. Finding speakers and advertising for my event will both be new skills.

Creating an interesting, interactive seminar to explain the current situation regarding the

mentally ill is a stretch for me.

G. Project-Paper Connection

My seminar and paper will both focus on the infrastructure and legal system as they

relate to the mentally ill. Both will include the strain the failures of the mental health

system place on both the prison system and on the mentally ill. I will cover widespread
problems, the effect they have, the history that led to these concerns, and possible ways to

reach as solution.

H. Academic Honesty

I understand that any academic dishonesty by me on any part of the project will result in

failure of the Senior Project and forfeiture of the Legal Studies Seal on my High School

diploma.

Academic honesty means avoiding plagiarism and cheating in all work. It involves taking

credit only for my own work and not sharing it with others. Allowing a person to copy

my work, copying others work, or not properly citing sources are grounds for dismissal

from the LSA.