Prison isn't meant to be pleasant. Compared with Hell, the worst prison on earth is bliss. I've a relative who is mentally ill and homeless. He runs away from treatment, lives on the streets, stops his meds, turns to booze and street drugs, gets arrested, goes to jail, gets paroled to rehab, runs away...The vicious cycle has gone on since he was first arrested at age 12. The amazing thing is that he is now 48 and still alive. I'm of the opinion the only sort of setting that might stabilize him is gone in the name of "rights" for the mentally ill- commitment to a residential hospital.