Criminalizing Addiction and Mental Illness: A Case Study

Like approximately 80% of men in maximum security prisons, Mickey struggled with mental illness and addiction. He spent 40 of his 58 years incarcerated. Mickey’s story illuminates the negative effects of incarceration on addiction and mental illness and points to the benefits addressing these issues with social services instead of corrections.

About Kim Whiting

Kim Whiting, MA, MBA, was formerly a psychotherapist specializing in youth and survivors of abuse. She has published an award-winning print and online magazine for and by teenage girls and coauthored the memoir Life Sentence, Life Purpose (4.5 star rating on Amazon) with a life sentence inmate. She now works with former criminals/gang leaders to create media that inspires ideas for social reform and prison reform and supports at-risk and incarcerated populations in making the transition to a legit life; healing, self-forgiveness, forgiveness, self-value and the belief that they are capable and worthy of having a happy, fulfilling, positively contributing life. www.streetlifetostraightlife.com

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