Why this state’s jails are filled with people suffering from severe mental illnesses

(InvestigateTV) — America’s jails were built to house the accused or those convicted of a crime.

The National Alliance on Mental Health says over the last few decades, they’ve become “defacto mental health providers.”

People experiencing a mental health crisis often end up behind bars because of a lack of community health services, and once they’re

incarcerated, about 60% with a history of mental illness do not receive treatment.

In Michigan, advocates say a decision 25 years ago to shut down more than a dozen state psychiatric hospitals backfired, and in at least one case, led to devastating consequences.

Reporter Ann Emmerich takes an in-depth look at this gap in mental health care.

Warning: this story mentions suicide