Overview IRR: Individual Research Report TMP: Team Multimedia Presentation IWA: Individual Written Argument IMP: Individual Multimedia Presentation Oral Defense EOC Part A EOC Part B Year Timeline Rubrics Templates MLA & APA Citations Common Mistakes Practice
02 Performance Task 1

IRR: Individual Research Report

IRR

Individual Research Report

The purpose of the IRR is to explore the complexity of an issue by examining it through different perspectives and connecting it to the larger context. Remember: this is a research report, not an argumentative essay.

~1,200 words50% of PT1 = 10% of your AP score. College Board scored.

What This Is

Your team picks a shared problem, and each member investigates it through a different lens. Your IRR reports what the conversation around your lens looks like: the perspectives, the evidence, the stakeholders, and where they disagree. You synthesize; you do not argue your own position. It is worth 50% of PT1 and is scored by College Board.

What Students Submit

The ~1,200 word report with a complete, accurate Works Cited, uploaded to the AP Digital Portfolio. Along the way you also complete the Source Tracker, Outline Planner, and process checkpoints in class, which document that the work is yours.

L

Research Lens

Each teammate examines the team question through a different lens. Open the Lenses tab below for guiding questions for all eleven lenses.

RVN

Source Credibility

Vet every source with the RAVEN method: Reputation, Ability to observe, Vested interest, Expertise, Neutrality. Track ratings in the Source Tracker.

MP

Multiple Perspectives

Stakeholders rebut, complement, support, limit, or constrain one another. Put them in conversation rather than listing them.

SYN

Synthesis

Compare, contrast, and connect sources. Avoid paragraphs where a topic sentence leans on a single source.

Step 1

Refine the Team Research Question

Use the Research Question Guide: if you cannot answer "yes" to every question (open-ended, debatable, complex, clearly stated, researchable, single question, requires judgment), the question needs refining.

Step 2

Claim a Lens

Each team member selects a distinct lens (economic, political and historical, scientific or medical, ethical, and so on) and reads with that lens's guiding questions in hand.

Step 3

Gather and Vet Sources

Log every source in the Source Tracker and score it with RAVEN. Aim for credible, diverse source types: academic, news, data.

Step 4

Choose an Organization

Pick one of three structures: organize by perspective, weave perspectives throughout, or organize topically. See the Outline Options tab.

Step 5

Draft, Peer Review, Revise

Teammates score each other's drafts row by row against the rubric, citing text evidence and giving specific grows. Then revise and run the Self-Check before submission.

Option 1

Organize by Perspective

Best if you have 2 to 3 stakeholders within your lens whose perspectives you want to compare and contrast. Two body paragraphs per stakeholder group.

Option 2

Weave Perspectives Throughout

Perspectives are blended across the paper rather than sectioned off. Each body section centers a core viewpoint with multiple perspectives in conversation.

Option 3

Organize Topically

Best if your sources address distinct problems or subtopics within your lens. Devote two body paragraphs to each problem, with solutions from multiple perspectives.

★
Non-negotiables for every option The introduction needs at least 2 to 3 cited pieces of evidence. Every body paragraph needs at least 3 pieces of evidence from multiple sources. No paragraph should rest on a single source.

Want the paragraph-by-paragraph version? Open the Simple IRR Outline in the Templates gallery.

Questions to ask while reading for a particular lens. Use these to focus annotation and source selection.

Resources Lens Worksheet Sunglasses Activity
  • How is this problem represented or discussed in popular culture?
  • What social implications does this problem have?
  • How does it affect how society is organized or structured?
  • Does this problem disproportionately affect a particular social or cultural group?
  • What social or cultural changes could help solve this problem?
  • How is this problem represented artistically?
  • Could art (fine art, music, literature, film, television) be part of a solution to this problem?
  • What philosophical stances or beliefs does this problem involve?
  • How are artists engaging with this problem?
  • Are there design-based solutions to this problem (architecture, etc.)?
  • What are the different political perspectives on this problem?
  • If divided by party lines, what is the reasoning behind each party's stance?
  • What is the history of this problem?
  • How have people attempted to address it in the past?
  • What has prevented this problem from being solved already?
  • What environmental consequences does this problem have?
  • What environments will be affected by this problem?
  • What environmental actions might solve this problem?
  • Are there unintended consequences of possible environmental solutions?
  • What environmental ripple effects exist due to this problem?
  • What might happen to humans as a result of environmental changes resulting from this problem?
  • Are there economic reasons this problem exists?
  • Who profits as a result of this problem? Who loses money?
  • What economic solutions exist for this problem?
  • What will a given solution cost? Who will pay for it?
  • Will solving this problem be beneficial or detrimental to the economy?
  • What is the science behind this problem?
  • Are there scientific solutions to this problem? What innovations could address it?
  • How effective are the scientific solutions? What limitations do they have?
  • What medical effects could this problem have?
  • Are there medical solutions to this problem? How effective are they?
  • If this problem is not solved, what will be the consequences in the future?
  • What are the possible future consequences of solving this problem?
  • How will the future be changed by solving or not solving the problem?
  • What precedents for the future might be set by solving or not solving this problem?
  • What ethical issues exist around this problem?
  • How do we know what the right or wrong thing to do in this case is?
  • What ethical precedents might be set by solving or not solving this problem?
  • What are the perspectives of different religions on this problem? Why does each religion hold this perspective?
  • How might different religious perspectives affect work toward a solution?
  • What laws or regulations exist around this problem?
  • Are there court decisions related to this problem?
  • How might legal precedent affect different solutions to the problem?
  • Are there legislative solutions? What issues might exist in getting them passed?
  • What educational programs exist around this problem?
  • What kind of education might be helpful to solve this problem?
  • How does a lack of education contribute to this problem?
  • How does this problem affect the education and learning of stakeholders?
  • How does this problem affect the educational experience of students?
  • How have other countries solved or addressed this problem?
  • How successful have their solutions been? What solutions might work here?
  • What factors in the United States might prevent another country's solution from working here?
  • How would another country's solution need to be modified to be implemented in the United States?

Use this checklist to self-evaluate before submission. Each "yes" moves you closer to a high score. Click items to check them off.

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Formatting & Setup
My IRR is formatted in MLA or APA, consistent throughout.
Page numbers are in the top right corner.
My word count is under my name and before Mrs. Cohen's name.
I have a clear, specific title that reflects my research focus and lens.
My Works Cited or References page is on a separate page at the end.
Organization & Flow
I included signposts (headings or transitions) to guide my reader through each section.
My introduction explains the larger issue, why it matters ("So what? Who cares?"), and how my research fits in.
My thesis is concise, arguable, and the final sentence of my introduction.
All paragraphs begin with topic sentences that connect to my thesis and the team's research question.
I use clear transitions to move between sources, ideas, and perspectives.
Content & Analysis
I demonstrated the complexity of my topic, not just summaries of sources.
I identified and explained my individual lens and its significance to the larger issue.
I analyzed at least three to five credible, diverse sources (academic, news, data).
I explained each source's credibility (author expertise, publication, date) the first time I use it.
I have commentary after every piece of evidence that connects it to my main claim.
My sources are in conversation: I compare, contrast, or synthesize rather than list.
I discuss implications, limitations, or consequences of the issue from my lens.
I avoided just summarizing. I analyze how and why these sources matter.
Citation & Language
All sources are cited in-text correctly and consistently.
My tone is formal and academic (no "I," "you," "we," or conversational phrasing).
I proofread for grammar, punctuation, and clarity.
Final Reflection
My report situates my lens in the broader context of the team's research question.
I clearly showed the significance of my findings to the overall problem or issue.
A reader would understand why my lens matters to the team's topic as a whole.

Common IRR Mistakes

Restating what a source says scores a 2 on Understand and Analyze Argument. The 6 requires identifying the source's argument, explaining its line of reasoning, AND analyzing the validity and strength of that argument. After every piece of evidence ask: did I explain how this author gets to their conclusion, and whether that reasoning holds?
You should never have a paragraph where the topic sentence is supported by only one source. Aim for at least 3 pieces of evidence from multiple sources per body paragraph, with sources rebutting, complementing, supporting, limiting, or constraining one another. Use They Say I Say language to link each perspective to the previous one and the next one.
Evaluate Sources and Evidence is a full 6-point rubric row, and it is scored through your evidence setup: mention authors, credentials, and publications as you introduce evidence. "According to M. Stacia Dearmin, a practicing physician at Akron Children's Hospital..." establishes credibility in the same sentence that delivers the evidence.
The IRR is a research report, not an argumentative essay. Your job is to report the conversation around your lens: the perspectives, their evidence, and where they disagree. You may include a recommendation paragraph at the end that considers what might best answer your group's question, but the body stays neutral. Save the arguing for the IWA.
The intro needs a hook (statistic or fact), a connection to your group's research question, lens-specific context, and the significance of the issue, with at least 2 to 3 pieces of evidence that require citation. An intro with zero citations almost always signals a low Context score.
The top score on the Sources row requires intentionally selected sources representing a wide variety of types, including at least 3 scholarly or peer-reviewed articles. Two scholarly articles caps you at the middle score. Variety matters too: all news articles, or all advocacy sites, reads as unintentional.
Identifying multiple perspectives with some general connections is the 4. The 6 requires explicit, relevant connections among perspectives: transitions that show how Perspective B responds to, limits, or builds on Perspective A. If each perspective lives in its own sealed section with no cross-talk, the row caps at 4.
The conclusion synthesizes: if A gets their way, this happens; if B gets their way, that happens. Where do we go from here? What happens if we act, react, or do nothing? A one-sentence restatement of the intro leaves the synthesis points on the table.

Reading the Samples

How to Read the Samples Below

Each high scoring sample below models one of the three organization options, and two earned a perfect 30. As you read, watch for the moves the mistakes list warns about, done correctly: multiple sources per paragraph, credibility built into evidence setup, perspectives in explicit conversation, and a synthesizing conclusion.

High Scoring Student Samples

Three full IRRs that earned top scores, one for each organization option. The full text is on this page, so nothing to load and nothing blocked. Read them with the rubric open and watch the moves: multiple sources per paragraph, credibility built into the evidence setup, perspectives in explicit conversation, and a conclusion that synthesizes.

Option 1: Organize by Perspective. "Worldwide Legalization of Rhino Horn Trade: The Political Considerations"

Each stakeholder perspective gets its own section: South Africa, Vietnam, NGOs, then the limits of CITES and a recommendation. Notice how every section still talks to the others.

Worldwide Legalization of Rhino Horn Trade: The Political Considerations

Citations appear as footnotes in the original (Chicago style); they are abridged here for readability. Full PDF with footnotes and bibliography available from Mrs. Cohen.

Introduction

Rhinos inhabit parts of Southern Asia and Africa; however, their populations have been dwindling due to a steep increase in rhino poaching. Last year, 1,215 rhinos were poached solely in South Africa, whereas only 13 rhinos were poached in the nation in 2007. This increase comes despite the conservation efforts of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora, which placed all but two rhino species on Appendix I of the Convention. CITES does not allow the importation of Appendix I species for commercial purposes; import and export permits are required for their trade. The issue at hand must be addressed at a global level in light of the fact that multiple regions are enmeshed in the rhino horn industry. There is high demand for rhino horns in Chinese and Vietnamese markets as they are used for medicinal purposes. There is also demand in the Yemeni market because rhino horns are used to make the handles of daggers. Furthermore, the international airports located in Johannesburg, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Beijing, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Singapore have been found to be involved in the transportation of rhino horns across the world. Seeing as the rates of rhino poaching are rising despite a worldwide moratorium on rhino horn trade, the question of legalizing the trade must be considered as an alternative solution. Moreover, the rhino poaching crisis is especially pertinent at present because South Africa is likely to propose the legalization of rhino horn trade worldwide at the next CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP) in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2016.

Government Perspective: South Africa

South Africa is arguably the nation with the most vested interests in the matter at hand. As stated by TRAFFIC, the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network, South Africa alone was home to 83% of Africa's rhinos and almost 75% of the wild rhinos worldwide as of 2011. Thus, rhino conservation is a prevalent issue in the nation; the South African government recently took measures to legalize rhino trade within its borders. Before this legalization, South Africa enforced a strict ban on rhino poaching. However, it is evident that the ban was extremely ineffective in protecting the rhino population. In fact, as stated in the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, three rhinos are being poached per day at present. The arrests that were made in South Africa in order to enforce the ban did not address the issue at its root cause. As described by Dr. Elizabeth Lunstrum of York University in the peer-reviewed Annals of the Association of American Geographers, the first level of the rhino horn trade criminal syndicate is comprised of the individuals and gangs who poach rhinos and are often motivated by poverty; 89% of arrests made in South Africa as a part of the anti-poaching campaign were made at this level. The fourth level of the syndicate is comprised of high level operatives responsible for the illegal transportation of horns out of Africa. They are linked to networks including corrupt officials in government and the private sector; only 4% of the arrests occurred at this level. The government's attempts to enforce a strict ban on rhino poaching were unsuccessful; due to the involvement of corrupt officials, few arrests were made in the higher echelons of the poaching industry. This weakened the enforcement of the ban, permitting poaching levels to rise at alarmingly high rates. Due to the evident failure of the ban, South Africa adopted a plan to legalize rhino horn trade as an alternative solution to conserve rhino populations; thus, the nation would also favor worldwide legalization of rhino horn trade.

Government Perspective: Vietnam

Vietnam is another nation with vested interests in the rhino horn trade; however, unlike South Africa, Vietnam has a domestic market and growing demand for rhino horns. In fact, 56% of the Asian nationals arrested for violating the ban on rhino horn trade in South Africa were Vietnamese. Furthermore, between 2009 and 2012, Vietnamese hunters accounted for 48% of the foreigners who poached rhinos in South Africa. Moreover, the Vietnamese government has done little to enforce the worldwide CITES moratorium on rhino poaching. As found by the Environmental Investigation Agency, between 2003 and 2010, 657 rhino horns were illegally transferred from South Africa to Vietnam; however, only 170 rhino horns were legally imported as hunting trophies from South Africa to Vietnam during the same period. This leaves 487 rhino horns, 74% of the imported rhino horns, unaccounted for. As stated by Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, the Vietnamese government has neither seized any illegally imported rhino horns nor prosecuted any traders since 2008. As Vietnam is not enforcing the CITES moratorium, it can be inferred that the nation would be in support of the legalization of the rhino horn trade as well, as it would satisfy the nation's domestic demand for rhino horns.

Animal Activism NGOs' Perspective

On the other hand, animal activism NGOs are strongly opposed to the prospect of legalizing the rhino horn trade. A statement released by the World Wildlife Fund For Nature (WWF) in response to South Africa's legalization of rhino trade announced, "WWF regrets today's decision by South Africa's High Court to lift the ban on the domestic trade in rhino horn." Furthermore, other anti-poaching organizations are already taking action to reduce demand for rhino horns. The Rhino Rescue Project (RRP), a South African organization, drills holes into a sedated rhino's horn and puts a mix of chemicals into the fibres that causes migraines, nausea, and even permanent nerve damage when powder of the horn is consumed. The organization does this in order to curb the growing demand for rhino horns and in turn, reduce the rate of rhino poaching. Given the fact that these environmental organizations are so vehemently opposed to South Africa's lifting of the ban on rhino horn trade and the rhino horn trade itself, it is evident that these organizations will oppose the prospect of legalization on an international scale even more; they are likely to attempt to heighten political tensions when the question of legalization is brought forth at the CITES CoP.

The Limitations of CITES

When considering worldwide legalization, the limitations of enforcing international legislation must be taken into account. Although CITES is one of the most widely ratified treaties regarding the protection of wildlife with 181 Parties in total, the treaty has relatively weak enforcement. CITES legislation is not self-executing in that it "cannot be fully implemented until specific domestic measures have been adopted for that purpose." In short, its framework does not replace national laws as it must respect national sovereignty; countries must pass national legislation to fully implement the Convention. Nations such as South Africa and Vietnam have not been successful in enforcing the CITES moratorium on rhino poaching; however, this is simply because a moratorium does not serve their national interest. Therefore, nations like those are likely to be much more vigilant in regulating the rhino horn trade when it is legalized as they will reap far more benefits as well.

The Recommendation

Although it is necessary that the economic, environmental, and social-cultural perspectives are considered as well, given the political factors involved, it is recommended that CITES be amended to legalize the rhino horn trade worldwide. Even though animal activism NGOs are against it, the governments of both producer and consumer nations involved in the trade such as South Africa and Vietnam are in favor of legalization; therefore, political consensus is to be expected on the matter among parties at the CITES CoP in 2016. In order to address the limitations of enforcing international legislation as well as the involvement of corrupt government officials in the higher echelons of rhino poaching syndicates, the aforementioned amendment must also establish a regulatory body comprised of neutral third party officials to oversee the trade, monitor the progress of the rhino populations, and ensure that every signatory is implementing the terms of the legalization appropriately.

Option 1 modelLens: politicalHigh scoring exemplar; row scores were not published with this one

Option 2: Weave Perspectives Throughout. "How to Address the Heroin Epidemic of the United States: Foreign Considerations"

No perspective sections here. Turkey, France, India, and the U.K. flow through the whole paper, each one brought back to what the U.S. could learn. Scored a perfect 30: every rubric row at the top.

How to Address the Heroin Epidemic of the United States: Foreign Considerations

Word count: 1130. In-text MLA citations preserved. Works Cited available in the full PDF from Mrs. Cohen.

According to Madison C. Ratycz, Thomas J. Papadimos, and Allison A. Vanderbilt of the College of Medicine and Life Sciences at the University of Toledo, drug overdose deaths in the United States more than tripled from 1999 to 2016 (Ratycz, Madison C., et al. 1). Ratycz and her colleagues assert that heroin especially contributed to this increase in overdose deaths (Ratycz, Madison C., et al. 1). Shane Darke of the National Drug Abuse and Research Center at the University of New South Wales clarifies that "overdose" is a catch-all term used to describe heroin-related deaths in general; most heroin-related deaths are caused by polydrug toxicity (Darke 2061). As such, the issue discussed hereinafter is heroin-related mortality in general, not heroin-related mortality caused by dosage. As stated, heroin-related mortality has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S. However, the U.S. is not alone in its war on heroin; European countries, Asian countries, and other North American countries are battling the opioid as well. What can the United States learn from the successes and failures of other countries in addressing their heroin epidemics and apply to its own heroin epidemic?

According to Kamil Alptekin of KTO Karatay University in Turkey and his colleagues, "research regarding the nationwide prevalence of substance use" and, by extension, heroin use "in Turkey has been limited" (Alptekin, et al. 578), but a study on the development of addiction syndrome in Turkey conducted by Turkish researchers Melike Nebioglu, Hacer Yalniz, Fatma M. Guven, and Omer Gecici revealed that an increase in heroin use has been seen among Turkish people in younger age groups (Nebioglu 37). In a study that researched the transit flows of Afghan heroin through Turkey to southwest Asia and Europe, Behsat Ekici and Adem Coban of the Department of Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime in Turkey recommended, among other policy implications, that the Turkish government deploy a larger number of counter-narcotics liaison officers (Ekici 360).

Turkey's heroin epidemic is similar to that of the U.S. in that most of the heroin seized was not produced domestically. Most of the heroin seized by Turkish officers from the 1990s on was produced in Afghanistan and transported through Turkey, which serves as a natural bridge to markets in southwest Asia and Europe (Ekici 342-344). Most of the heroin seized by U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officers, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, and other law enforcement authorities in the past came from Colombia, but Mexico is now the principal supplier (Jakovljevic 357). Ekici and Coban argue for the Turkish government to deploy more counter-narcotics liaison officers. Mirroring this argument, the U.S. could send more liaison officers to Mexico to cooperate with Mexican law enforcement authorities. Furthermore, domestically, the U.S. could deploy more DEA officers at hotspots of heroin use and deploy more CBP officers at the border. This policy would require the allocation of additional funding to the DEA and CBP.

According to Eric Janssen of the Department of General Population Surveys of the French Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addictions in France, a better study on heroin use in France that is subject to less limitations is admittedly needed, but it does appear that heroin use in the country is on the rise (Janssen 686). However, according to Jean Vignau and Emmanuel Brunelle of the Hospital and University Center in Lille, France, the country has seen progress thanks to its effective health system. A French heroin addict seeking rehabilitation can go to a general practitioner, who is funded by France's la Secu social security system, or an addiction center, which is state-supported (Vignau 24). General practitioners and addiction centers in France approach rehabilitating heroin addicts differently, but, medicinally, both of them primarily use buprenorphine (Vignau 24), and both of them are equally effective at rehabilitation (Vignau 25).

Understandably but unfortunately, general practitioners in the U.S. are required to obtain a waiver to prescribe buprenorphine, according to Alexander Walley of the Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine in Massachusetts and his colleagues (Walley 1393). This hinders heroin addicts' accessibility to buprenorphine-prescribing general practitioners, as there is no guarantee that credentialed physicians are in their area. The U.S. could do away with the waiver. However, this policy change would not be perfect, as the waiver does decrease the likelihood of buprenorphine falling into incompetent hands. On a different but not completely unrelated note, France's socialized health system ensures that its populace has unobstructed access to healthcare, making rehabilitation more accessible. Considering this, it can be argued that the U.S. is in need of broad, large-scale reforms to its health system. This is under debate, though, as the costs could outweigh the benefits.

Whether buprenorphine should be the medication of choice is under debate, as there is a myriad of drugs that can treat addiction to heroin. Buprenorphine has its pros and cons: Andrew J. Saxon of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington and his colleagues herald both buprenorphine and methadone but identify methadone's superiority in regard to treatment retention and buprenorphine's superiority in regard to reduced illicit opioid use early in treatment (Saxon 69). Neeraj Jain and his colleagues of the Department of Psychiatry of Government Medical College and Hospital in India advocate detoxification using a carefully dosed combination of buprenorphine and clonidine (Jain 293). They reason that buprenorphine and clonidine are equal in efficacy and that clonidine can reduce cravings for opioids (Jain 293). The con of this combination is that clonidine can cause negative health effects, "such as sedation and hypotension, rebound hypertension, atrioventricular block, and bradycardia" (Jain 293). Buprenorphine and methadone are reliable staples in rehabilitation from heroin addiction, and some general practitioners in the U.S. already prescribe sublingual buprenorphine and oral methadone, but clonidine and other partial agonists are worth considering.

In addition to methadone and clonidine, the effectiveness of prescribing heroin itself has been debated. The United Kingdom is internationally unique in that it prescribes diamorphine (among other drugs), or heroin, to treat heroin addiction (Metrebian 115). According to a study published in Drug and Alcohol Review, which is a peer-reviewed medical journal, prescribing heroin instead of methadone decreases the risk of illicit heroin use by a patient after treatment (Metrebian 115). The obvious risk posed by this is that patients can become addicted to the provided heroin, albeit in controlled doses and of high purity. However, heroin use in the U.K. is not as "epidemic" as that of the U.S. ("United Kingdom Country Drug Report 2018"). It is uncertain whether heroin use in the U.K. is as low as it is due to the country's prescription of heroin, but doing so is a policy that the U.S. could adopt.

Option 2 modelRow 1: 6/6Row 2: 6/6Row 3: 6/6Row 4: 6/6Rows 5 and 6: 3/3 eachTotal: 30/30

Option 3: Organize Topically. "Deinstitutionalization: Leaving Patients Behind"

Three problems within the lens (homelessness, crime and prison overflow, isolation and suicide), each with its own section and multiple sources explaining it. Also a perfect 30.

Deinstitutionalization: Leaving Patients Behind

Word count: 1306. In-text APA citations preserved. References available in the full PDF from Mrs. Cohen.

Introduction

News of the deinstitutionalization movement has passed by, unnoticed since its commencement in the 1960's. However, growing concerns over poverty, prison overcrowding, and civil rights of mentally disabled patients call for recognition and deep understanding of deinstitutionalization as a major contributor to these problems. According to Lamb, a professor at University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles and Bachrach, veteran author of 41 articles on the topic of deinstitutionalization, deinstitutionalization is defined as the replacement of state or federal run psychiatric hospitals with community-based alternatives (Lamb & Bachrach, 2001). The government implemented this policy of deinstitutionalization because of "the belief that mental hospitals were cruel and inhumane, hope that new medications [opposed to the ineffective treatment from the institutions] offered a cure, and the desire to save money" (Yohanna, 2013). Overall, the government expected deinstitutionalization to improve the lives of the mentally ill. Since the commencement, the program strived to develop independence among patients by increasing employment and interaction with others. Unfortunately, these positive outcomes occur only where mental community services are well-established and maintained (Kliewer, McNally, & Trippany, n.d.). In actuality, a majority of the released patients experience unintentional, negative consequences of deinstitutionalization such as homelessness, incarceration, and isolation due to the absence of the promised community care.

Patient Homelessness

The absence and lack in quality of community-based mental programs contributes to the failure of the deinstitutionalization movement to improve the lives of mental patients. The major obstacle facing the success of deinstitutionalization is limited funding for mental centers which results in an unprofessional staff and ineffective services (Kliewer, McNally, & Trippany, n.d.). Flory and Friedrich, co-directors of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Long-term Care Network, provide examples of the effects caused by limited funding through the complaints of families who have directly experienced the unsuccessful community centers. Many described the lack of 24-hour supervision when needed. They also delineate their experience with the revolving door syndrome, the frequent transportation of patients caused by the lack of adequate housing. One woman explains how her schizophrenic son had been moved in the system 62 times; thus, her son remained ill for 20 years due to lack of treatment (Flory & Friedrich 1999). Revolving door syndrome causes patient instability and leads to forced homelessness because of the brief treatment duration and forced discharge from government institutions. Madianos, president of the World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation and professor of general and social psychiatry at the University of Athens, delineates the direct correlation between the economic level of a country and availability of mental health programs; only 51.7% of the impoverished countries had available services while 97.4% of the wealthy countries had available services (Madianos, 2010). Thus, his study supports the concept that community services assist countries in escaping poverty by housing and treating the mental patients who make up "a third to a half of all homeless adults" (Lamb & Bachrach, 2001). The failure of the deinstitutionalization movement caused by insufficient funding of community mental centers results in increased patient homelessness after they experience the revolving door and realize they have no place to stay.

Increased Crime Rate and Prison Overflow

Patient homelessness caused by deinstitutionalization leads to increased crime rates among the mental patients. Often they resort to crime in order to purposefully go to jail where they can be fed and housed. In fact, in a survey conducted by Smith (2012), an editor of the Sociology Compass journal, it was found that "around 40 percent of severely mentally ill people have been arrested at least once in their lives." Additionally, patients' untreated mental illnesses can also influence them to commit severe crimes. For example, up to 50 percent of mass homicides have been associated with people suffering from serious mental illnesses (Treatment Advocacy Center). Providing more evidence of increased crime, Wallace, Mullen, and Burgess (2004) conducted a study where they examined the frequency of offenses among schizophrenic patients over a 25-year period during the deinstitutionalization experience. They discovered that the patients' rate of offending rose from 7.4 percent in 1975 to 11.9 percent in 1995. Therefore, deinstitutionalization set an impetus for the increase crime rate of mental patients. As a result of the increased crime rate, deinstitutionalization also contributes to the overcrowding of prisons. For example, "[m]ore than 1.8 million people with SMI [severe mental illnesses] are booked into jails every year" (Treatment Advocacy Center, n.d.). Flory and Friedrich (1999) add that there happen to be more mental patients in jail than patients receiving proper treatment. In the prevention of prison overflow and crime, deinstitutionalization should be stopped or carried out a different way.

Isolation and Suicide

Patients who avoid homelessness or imprisonment often experience isolation from society which could eventually lead to suicide. Successful recovery and functioning of mental patients depend on the material assistance and emotional support provided by the community as stated by Bachrach (1976) in her book Deinstitutionalization: An analytical review and sociological perspective published by the National Institute of National Health. However, when mental patients are forced into community settings, they often experience isolation from others. Bachrach (1976) explains how there seems to be a "consensus that society has difficulty in dealing with the presence of mental patients in their midst." Although the book was published in the 1970's, Bachrach provides an accurate reaction of the community to the mental patients since the repercussions of the deinstitutionalization movement became prominent around this time period. Additionally, Kliewer, McNally, and Trippany support Bachrach's claim by suggesting that "the community at large is frequently afraid of people with mental illness, believing them to be dangerous. This belief often cause[s] rejection" of the patients through victimization and harassment (Kliewer, McNally, & Trippany, n.d.). Bachrach continues to give examples of the methods many use to isolate the patients such as city ordinances, zoning codes, and unnecessary police arrests (Bachrach, 1976). In a majority of the cases, isolation serves as an impetus for suicide. In fact, "[u]p to 50% of those with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder attempt suicide" (Treatment Advocacy Center, n.d.) and one in ten are successful in completing suicide (Flory & Friedrich, 1999). Suffering from societal rejection and abandonment, mental patients resort to suicide to "solve" their afflictions. As a solution, Richan and Eidelman (1975) propose that "[w]e must not, however, spend a lot of time in talking, writing, and holding conferences and seminars on deinstitutionalization.... We must concentrate our efforts in [the] direction" of becoming more active in improving and participating in community mental services. Richan and Eidelman, journalists for the National Association of Social Workers, call for action to improve the community services in order to prevent the suffering of mental patients because this journal emphasizes the importance of social work in all different types of dire situations.

Conclusion

Despite the positive intentions of the deinstitutionalization programs, the commencement has been followed by a majority of unintentional negative consequences. To prevent ostracization of patients, wider understanding of mental illnesses should be implemented through educational programs for a higher chance of the social acceptance of the mentally disabled patients. As a solution to the increased crime rates of mentally ill people and prison overpopulation, Smith (2012) offers the plan of diverting some of the funds used by the criminal justice system to handle the mentally ill people to the community mental services. With a majority of the crime and inmate sources diverted towards community centers for treatment, the criminal justice system would not need the full funds to manage its tasks. However, this plan must be executed gradually as immediate transportation of the money would result in the collapse of the criminal justice system. Thus, the responsibility is now in the hands of those who are aware of this crisis to find a solution for these patients to live with the greatest degree of life, liberty, and their pursuit of happiness.

Option 3 modelRow 1: 6/6Row 2: 6/6Row 3: 6/6Row 4: 6/6Rows 5 and 6: 3/3 eachTotal: 30/30

Mental health and addiction appear as research topics in two of these samples. If you or someone you know is struggling, talk to Mrs. Cohen, a counselor, or another trusted adult.