Student Name
CTAC 224
Nina Brennan
Date of Submission
Outline for persuasive speech
General Purpose: to persuade
Specific Purpose: to persuade my audience that inmates with serious mental illnesses should be
put in treatment programs and services rather than jails and detention centers.
Attention getting device: Ruben Rivera was imprisoned in the King County jail in Texas for a
misdemeanor offense. According to Amplifying Voices of Inmates with Disabilities (AVID) Jail
Project documentary from 2005, upon arrival, he was told that he would not be given his
medication Seroquel because they did not agree with the dosage. Seroquel is used to treat
schizoprenia, bipolar disorder, and depression, and Rivera struggled with all three. He claimed
the voices were getting worse, and that the more he fought hallucinations, the more real they
became. For inmates like Rivera, their life was now a twisted haunting reality of isolation and
mental darkness.
Thesis : There are far too many mentally ill individuals being confined in jails in prisons when
they need to be receiving proper treatment, hospitalization, and mental health services.
Justification: Considering that a Psychiatric Services Report from April 1, 2001 suggests that
mental health and drug courts can reduce burgeoning prison rolls not only by intially diverting
offenders, but also by reducing the likelihood that they'll return to the justice system, we must
challenge the idea that mental ill offenders must be placed in jails and prisons.
-Watson, Amy, et al. “Mental Health Courts and the Complex Issue of Mentally Ill
Offenders.” Psychiatry Online, 1 Apr. 2001
Statement of Credibility: I am an authority on this topic because I have done extensive research
on the disadvantages of housing mentally ill offenders in jails and prisons rather than directing
them to mental health services they need.
Preview : So today, we will talk about the Problems, Causes and Solutions to this growing prevalent
issue.
Transition: There are many large-scope problems associated with jailing mentally ill offenders
who have committed minor offenses.
Body:
• Problems
• Keeping mentally ill offenders locked up in confining jail and prison cells is
unethical and contributes to a further decline in mental health
-According to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 40% of inmates in state
and federal prisons have a history of mental illness. Nearly 15% meet the
criteria for acute and serious psychological distress. In county jails, the
prevelance is even higher, with almost half of inmates reporting history of
mental illness.
