For subscribers Opinion As a psychologist and a jail warden, my duty was to bring humanity to an inhumane system Nneka Jones Tapia, Opinion contributor Published 9:22 am UTC May. 6, 2021 When it comes to the American criminal justice system, much of the story has already been written for people trying to cope with mental illness, addiction and trauma. Approximately 40% of people who are incarcerated have a history of mental illness, two-thirds have an active substance use disorder and nearly all have a history of trauma. Help for those conditions over-incarceration is especially hard to attain for Black and brown people. This story has been a big part of my life.