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LANSING, Ill. (March 26, 2021) – Mentally ill inmates provide a unique challenge to corrections facilities and professionals, says criminologist Elvis Slaughter, a Lansing resident. His latest publication— “Mentally Ill Inmates & Corrections” —provides needed insight on this important subject. Slaughter, having worked with dangerous inmates during his experience at one of the largest correctional systems in the nation, aims at the genesis of mental illness.
Many inmates of correctional facilities are mentally ill, says Slaughter. This can range from being ruthless and dangerous to antisocial sexual behavior that creates an immensely negative work environment for corrections officers, attorneys, and other staff. Slaughter says the big question is how to respond professionally to help those working in this environment, while also being humane and helping rehabilitate when possible.
“It is probably impossible to write a book on this subject without having the firsthand experience I’ve had,” commented Slaughter, who spent three decades at the Cook County Sheriff’s Office and retired as Sheriff’s Superintendent. “I hope this helps create win-win solutions in a very sensitive corrections area.”
In the book, Slaughter considers the true stories behind some of the more infamous mentally ill criminals, including John Wayne Gacy, shining a light on the challenges officers face every day. He also clarifies that despite some crimes committed by inmates, there is a moral demand to act humanely, both to benefit the inmate and for the officers’ psyches.
Published by World Press Publishing, “Mentally Ill Inmates & Corrections” is a paperback (ISBN: 978-1-7360506-2-0, 170 pp., $18.95) available at Amazon.com and worldpresspublishing.org.
About the author
About the Author
Elvis Slaughter, MSCJ, is an educator, retired sheriff’s superintendent, former fire and police commissioner, criminologist, and former president of Illinois Academy of Criminology. Author of 10 books, he has been publishing books and articles since 2005, including “Safer Jail and “Prison Matters: Effective Ways to Manage and Reduce Violence in Correctional Facilities,” and “Preschool to Prison.”
