Prisons as asylums for the mentally ill

The Herald Sun reported Sunday that prisons were effectively being used as asylums for the mentally ill.
No kidding. Isn't that sort of thing common in third world countries? Since Australia hasn't seen fit to provide a mental health system, there isn't much else for the mentally ill, especially if the person is male.

The question should not be whether prisons are a good place for the mentally ill. Australia has answered that question by example, as the Herald Sun reports. The question should be whether there isn't a better way to treat the mentally ill without perpetuating the myth that they all belong in prison.

The answer to that question was demonstrated over a century ago for other societies. I suppose it does take a while for ideas like that to filter down under though.