How many U.S. citizens are excluded from society due to disability?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the number of U.S. citizens who are excluded from participating in society due to disabilities, particularly focusing on those who are institutionalized or incarcerated because of mental or physical incapacities. The scope includes statistical references and implications of these figures on societal participation.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Debate/contested, Statistical analysis

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the number of U.S. citizens secured from society due to incapacitating disabilities.
  • Another participant references 2005 AHA statistics regarding hospital admissions and patient days, suggesting a significant number of individuals may be affected by disabilities.
  • A claim is made regarding approximately 2.3 million Americans being incarcerated, with a notable portion being mentally ill or handicapped, raising concerns about their societal exclusion.
  • A follow-up request for sources and specific percentages of mentally ill or handicapped individuals within the incarcerated population is made, indicating a need for more detailed data.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying perspectives on the statistics related to disability and incarceration, with no consensus reached on the exact numbers or implications of these figures.

Contextual Notes

The discussion relies on statistics from 2005, which may not reflect current conditions. There are also unresolved questions regarding the definitions of disability and the criteria for inclusion in the statistics mentioned.

Loren Booda
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How many U.S. citizens are currently secured (institutionalized) from participating in free society, primarily because of incapacitating mental or physical disability?
 
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According to 2005 AHA statistics, there were about 5,900 hospitals in the US, with about 1 million beds. In 2005 they had close to 35 million admissions and about 240 million patient days.
 
The big number, though, is the roughly 2.3 million Americans behind bars--that's right, 2.3 million. Unfortunately, many of them are mentally ill, handicapped, etc. More still are locked up because of minor drug crimes.
 
Philosoraptor said:
The big number, though, is the roughly 2.3 million Americans behind bars--that's right, 2.3 million. Unfortunately, many of them are mentally ill, handicapped, etc. More still are locked up because of minor drug crimes.
Please post the source with these numbers, percent of mentally ill, handicapped, etc... Thanks.
 

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