Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A. Abstract
The topic of my paper is mental illness in the prison system. I will be discussing the lack
of solid, sustainable infrastructure to help the mentally ill. My paper and project will
discuss the history of mental health law and reform and explain the current system and its
flaws. The strain these deficits place on both the improperly equipped legal professionals
and the underserved mentally ill will be a major focus of my project. For my project, I
will hold a seminar with at least two speakers: a psychiatrist and correctional officer. I
will also work with the Treatment Advocacy Center to help push for an increase in
psychiatric beds in Virginia. The Treatment Advocacy Center lobbies for better laws
relating to the mentally ill so I will be able to work with them to help get support for a
law in Virginia to lessen this issue. My purpose for this seminar will be to heighten
awareness of a problem with the laws and available infrastructure within the legal system
for the mentally ill and help to improve this problem by pushing for a law that will allow
for more effective treatment of the mentally ill outside of prisons. I will hold my project
Criminal Justice and Psychology classes. The title of my paper and project will be The
seminar and a survey. My consultant will be Mr. Spruill. The following questions will
drive my research:
What sort of treatment does a person with mental illness who doesnt have the money
illness?
What would be the cost of creating an effective infrastructure to deal with mental
B. Learning Skills
New Skills:
Organizing an event
Attracting speakers
Advertising for an audience
Enhanced Skills
Public Speaking
Organizational Skills
Time Management
C. Marketing Plan/Facilities/Audience
I will use a Virginia Beach library conference room for my project. I will market for my
project at the libraries and school using fliers and morning announcements. I will
advertise using word-of-mouth and fliers. My target audience is the Criminal Justice and
Psychology classes, who are learning about issues that tie into my project. I will negotiate
with the teachers of these classes to give extra credit for attending my seminar. Because
my project is on the incarceration of the mentally ill, people interested in these classes
should be interested in my seminar which shows a real-life issue associated with the
material in these classes. The issues that my speakers and I will be discussing will
involve information about the criminal justice system, the insanity defense, legal
protections of the mentally ill and where they fall short, and the effects of severe
psychological illness, which are all very relevant to the students in these classes.
D. Project Steps
Later Steps Practice run through, gather necessary materials, finalize 6 hours
presentation
Total 20
hours
E. Project Documentation
I will document my project primarily through photos, the blog, and the time log. My
documentation will also include talking points for the seminar and a video that will be
shown at the seminar. I will have fliers and other advertisements for my seminar as well
F. Project Justification
My project is a reach for me because I have never done any sort of presentation outside
of a class setting. Finding speakers and advertising for my event will both be new skills.
Creating an interesting, interactive seminar to explain the current situation regarding the
G. Project-Paper Connection
My seminar and paper will both focus on the infrastructure and legal system as they
relate to the mentally ill. Both will include the strain the failures of the mental health
system place on both the prison system and on the mentally ill. I will cover widespread
problems, the effect they have, the history that led to these concerns, and possible ways to
reach as solution.
H. Academic Honesty
I understand that any academic dishonesty by me on any part of the project will result in
failure of the Senior Project and forfeiture of the Legal Studies Seal on my High School
diploma.
Academic honesty means avoiding plagiarism and cheating in all work. It involves taking
credit only for my own work and not sharing it with others. Allowing a person to copy
my work, copying others work, or not properly citing sources are grounds for dismissal