---
title: 'New Government Study Finds Over Half of Inmates Have Mental Problems'
description: 'According to a Bureau of Justice Statistics study released September 6, more than half of all prison and jail inmates, including 56% of state prisoners…'
canonical: 'https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/new-government-study-finds-over-half-of-inmates-have-mental-problems'
section: news
date: '2006-09-06T20:56:08-04:00'
updated: '2025-03-14T14:24:25-04:00'
source: 'Death Penalty Information Center'
---

According to a **Bureau of Justice Statistics** study released September 6, more than half of all prison and jail inmates, including 56% of state prisoners, 45% of federal prisoners, and 64% of local jail inmates have mental health problems. The study was based on reporting of symptoms by inmates rather than through medical diagnosis. Among state prisoners with mental problems, 43% had symptoms of mania, 23% had major depression, and 15% had psychotic disorders. Having mental health problems was closely correlated with violence and past criminal activity.

Other significant findings regarding those prisoners with mental problems included:

- 74% of those in state prison were dependent on or abusing drugs or alcohol in the year before their admission
- 13% of those in state prison were homeless in the year before their incarceration
- 27% of those in state prison reported past physical or sexual abuse.

([**"Mental Health Problems of Prison and Jail Inmates,"**](https://ojp.gov/bjs/abstract/mhppji.htm) (NCJ-213600), Sept. 2006; BJS Press Release, Sept. 6, 2006). See [**Mental Illness**](/mental-illness-and-death-penalty?did=782&scid=66). The American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association and the American Bar Association have called for exempting those with severe mental illness from the death penalty.