xxAACP Newsletter, Volume 13, Number 2, Spring 1999
Brief Notes
Something different is being planned to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the AACP in October at the IPS in New Orleans. This is the town, after all, where anything goes! Rather than the usual reception following our membership forum, a really memorable event is being planned. An earthy gathering featuring folk singers Dave van Ronk and Odetta and some local cuisine will provide the backdrop for these festivities. Bristol-Meyers Squibb has been kind enough to provide support for this slightly unusual event tentatively planned for October 30th, the eve of Halloween. This is an event we hope all AACP members will try to attend.
Correction -- Training Committee Chair
The last edition of the newsletter attempted to provide members with a complete list of current committees of the AACP with the committee chairperson(s) hoping that we could encourage members to sign on with one of these groups. Well, we came pretty close but managed to omit at least one important name. Robert Goisman, M.D. is the Co-Chair of the Training Committee along with Ken Thompson, M.D. Dr. Goisman can be contacted at 617-734-1300, x371 or by email at Rgois@aol.com. Please feel free to contact him with any relevant issues for consideration or if you would like to be a participant in that committee.
AACP Authors Publish Two New Books on Mental Health
in Jails and Prisons
Terry Kupers, M.D., current co-chair of AACP's Task Force on Mentally Illness in Correctional Settings is the author of a book recently released by Jossey-Bass Publishers entitled Prison Madness: The Mental Health Crisis Behind Bars and What We Must Do About It The book is drawn from his experiences as a psychiatric expert witness in large class action lawsuits about prison conditions and the quality of mental health care "inside." He begins with the plight of the large number of seriously mentally ill persons in prison and the profound suffering and abuse they are subjected once incarcerated. The book provides an exposé of the brutal conditions encountered by these individuals and some of the attitudes contributing to them. Dr. Kupers makes very concrete recommendations for changing the circumstances leading to these deplorable conditions and abusive treatment and for better public mental health services in the community and quality mental health care inside. Prison Madness can be purchased at local bookstores or can be ordered from the publisher by calling 800-956-7739.
The second book is a trim volume published by the American Correctional Association and written by Wesley Sowers, MD, Kenneth Thompson, MD and Stephen Mullins, MD. The book is entitled Mental Health in Corrections: An Overview for Correctional Staff. The authors have used their experiences working in correctional settings and with correctional staff to produce a very simply written introduction to mental disorders and their treatment. The book also considers how correctional officers can contribute to the stability of these inmates and preserve their own ability to function in a highly stressful environment. Vignettes are used at the beginning of most chapters to illustrate concepts being considered. This book should be of interest to mental health professionals working in correctional settings and who would like to provide materials to improve the knowledge base of correctional staff supervising the clients they serve. The book may be ordered from the ACA by calling 1-800-222-5646.
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