The number of county jail inmates in California taking psychotropic drugs has jumped about 25 percent in five years, and they now account for about a fifth of the state jail population. The increase could reflect the growing number of inmates with mental illness, though it also might stem from better identification of people who need treatment. Some say the medications are overprescribed, while others argue that some inmates who need the drugs aren’t receiving them.
For more, read Anna Gorman’s coverage.
