Annunziata with Danielle Conway, Dean of the
Umaine Law School.
One lecture presented on university day was called, “Continuity of Care in Maine’s Jails.” Presented by UMPI senior Valentina Annunziata, the lecture was an overview of her research on mental health care in the state’s jails. She was inspired to explore this topic by a guest’s testimony in Honors Women and Crime, a seminar course taught by Dr. Lisa Leduc.
Annunziata was not allowed to interview inmates, so she had to rely on talks with the administration. She was able to gather loads of information from her interviews with these professionals who work in facilities across the state. One policy that Annunziata found upsetting is the 30-day hold on medications that inmates are forced to suffer through upon arriving at jail. “As someone who has personally struggled with mental illness in the past, I was outraged by the fact that someone would have to wait so long for their medications in a time they may need them most,” Annunziata said.
Through her research, Annunziata learned of other shortcomings regarding the mental health care of Maine’s inmates. Upon incarceration, inmates usually lose their insurance. If they qualified for Maine Care on the outside, its benefits immediately freeze when they get locked up. Medication is often handed out by correctional officers. According to Annunziata, nurses would be much better suited to make sure that inmates are getting only what was prescribed to them and what is appropriate to their specific mental health needs.
Annunziata sees these shortcomings as a major factor in the high rate of reoffenders and a safety risk for the entire community. “Not only does it endanger the individual who is not receiving care, but it is a security risk for staff within jails, and the greater community of Maine,” Annunziata said. It is her hope that the people who can make changes to these policies will work toward making small changes that could make the transition into jail a much healthier one in terms of mental health.
“Valentina has spent a year researching this issue and will be presenting her findings to the Governor and the Maine department of corrections. She has done a thorough job interviewing system actors throughout the state and her final policy memo is excellent,” Lisa Leduc, Annunziata’s criminal justice professor said.
Valentina Annunziata wants to work with people who don’t always have a voice or the tools to speak up for themselves. She will undoubtedly find a way to help people in whatever career she chooses after UMPI.
