The vast majority of people with mental illness will never break any laws at all, not so much as getting a parking ticket, and sadly they are far more likely to be victims of crime. The small cohort of people with an existing mental illness who do end up in prison after committing acts of violence do not do well there; conditions are difficult enough for someone of sound mind and body. The lack of resources means that only 10–20 per cent of prisoners will get the help and treatment they need, if they are judged to be grossly mentally ill. Even then, they may wait a long time for it; triage for
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