Mysteries of Mental Illness

Cook County Jail

Clip | 4m  | Video has closed captioning.

Black men with mental health problems are more likely to be incarcerated than white men. 50,000 people pass through Cook County Jail each year and 90% are black. One inmate, Jeremiah Robinson, is diagnosed with schizophrenia, anxiety, bipolar and PTSD, and has been arrested 15 times since high school. How did prisons and jails become a frontline treatment for the mentally ill?

Aired: 06/23/21

Rating: NR

Buy Now:

Problems Playing Video? | Closed Captioning

Funding for Mysteries of Mental Illness is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Johnson & Johnson, the American Psychiatric Association Foundation, and Draper, and through the support of PBS viewers.

Join the Campaign

Campaign

Join the Campaign

Share your story of dealing with mental illness through textual commentary, a still image, a short-form video — however you feel most comfortable — using the hashtag #MentalHealthPBS on social media.

Share Your Story

More Science and Nature Shows