“As a nation it is unacceptable to allow the dream of a comprehensive treatment system to default to arrest and incarceration. Beyond training tips that enable corrections officers to effectively de-escalate potentially dangerous situations, NAMI Tennessee’s film, CODE, offers insights from national experts. It also provides an unflinching, yet sympathetic view of prison inmates with mental health or substance use conditions and those charged with their protection. CODE is a great film for showing the benefits of collaboration to reach a common goal.”

“Although everyone had good intentions, the closing of our mental hospitals over the last several decades has often resulted in the prison system becoming our largest mental health institution. While we work to reverse that problem, it is so important that we train our prison staff and give them tools to deal with this vulnerable population-both to keep everyone safe, but to also improve the lives of those who would not even be there had we been able to provide proper care and intervention in the community. This film shows us one way to make a difference.”

“For the past 30 years we have watched what was supposed to be a humane transition from long term hospitalization to deinstitutionalization to community resources. Unfortunately, deinstitutionalization has become trans-institutionalization into jails, prisons, homeless shelters, encampments, and the streets. Whereas Middle Tennessee Mental Health Institute has a state of the art facility capable of serving 350 patients, most days MTMHI is serving fewer than 150 patients while the Davidson County Jail is caring for as many as 600 inmates with severe and persistent mental illness. This film portrays the humanity, both of inmates and correctional officers, while frankly examining the untenable trend toward criminalization of mental illness.”