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The Released

April 28, 2009

54m

A rare and intimate look at what happens to the mentally ill after they're released from prison. Why do they so often return?

The Released

April 28, 2009

54m

This year, hundreds of thousands of prisoners with serious mental illnesses will be released into communities across America, the largest exodus in the nation’s history. Typically, mentally ill offenders leave prison with a bus ticket, $75 and two weeks worth of medication. Within eighteen months, nearly two-thirds are re-arrested. In this follow-up to the groundbreaking film The New Asylums, FRONTLINE examines what happens to the mentally ill when they leave prison and why they return at such alarming rates. [Explore more stories on the original website for The Released.]

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Miri Navasky
Karen O'Connor

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