Political Quotes

“One of the things, Mr. Speaker, that we wanted to talk about was Blacks being overrepresented in prison: 1 million of the total 2.3 million people incarcerated in the United States. One million of those 2.3 million are, in fact, African American. That is another area for mental health that Black Americans face. A current major national concern: People of color account for 60 percent of the prison population. While only 14 percent of Black people are drug users, we account for 37 percent of drug arrests. This incarceration could contribute to mental health issues of Black people and raises questions surrounding the delivery of mental health services in prison. The reverse is also true. The lack of access to mental health testing and treatment may, in fact, lead to incarceration. This reality leads to real issues in healthcare regarding access, mental health, and quality care treatment. Treatment issues that must be addressed include the fact that the Black community is overrepresented in inpatient treatment and underrepresented in outpatient treatment, highlighting the need for more early education and intervention. Regarding misdiagnosis and access to care, access is a central point of contention when thinking about the care of Black psychiatric patients. Often, communities such as my district are not equipped with adequate facilities and services. In the Virgin Islands, there is not just a lack of inpatient care for mental health but outpatient as well.…”