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WACO, Texas \u2014 The National Institute of Corrections shows an 85 percent increase in suicides in state prisons over the last two decades. <\/p>\n
One Central Texas teenager who\u2019s dad spent time behind bars wants to help change that.<\/p>\n
Kelsey Richards is a Belton High School senior who hopes to make a change in how prisons handle mental healthcare.<\/p>\n
“I want to be able to have psychiatric help for everyone for free at every jail and prison,” said Richards. <\/p>\n
“I think it will calm them better and get them in a better mindset, also make them feel safer.”<\/p>\n
Her passion started as child when her biological father was in and out of prison.<\/p>\n
“Sometimes I would think he didn’t really remember me because he didn’t send me gifts or anything or he’s just this bad person, but then as I grew up I realized that maybe it’s not him that made this happen,” said Richards.<\/p>\n
She believes better mental health care can make a huge change in a prisoner’s experience and lessen the chance of returning.<\/p>\n
“Usually with mental health, people who don’t have good mentality they do more mistakes so they get more punishment,” she said. <\/p>\n
“They go to solitary confinement. Solitary confinement is actually really bad for them and can worsen the mentality.”<\/p>\n
Kelsey has reached out to prisons across the state, in Oklahoma and New Mexico to discuss how they can improve mental healthcare.<\/p>\n
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice denied an on-camera interview with 25 News, but said the department “remains dedicated to serving the medical and mental health needs of all incarcerated individuals”.<\/p>\n
Kelsey will study psychology in college next year to further her goal to help prisoners.<\/p>\n
She also has started a GoFundMe<\/a> to help pay to hire therapists.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n