New Mexico Authorities Describe Caregivers’ ‘Torture’ Of Disabled Woman Who Died
Story of medical incarceration and torture of a woman with a disability resulting in her death here.
Involuntary Confinement in New Hampshire
“Judge says New Hampshire must end practice of involuntarily holding psychiatric patients in hospitals” According to local reporting in Mancester, NH: “‘The permanent injunction order issued by Judge McCafferty in federal district court is an important step forward for patients suffering from an acute psychiatric crisis and their families,’ said Vanessa Stafford, spokeswoman for the […]
“Why California’s much-touted CARE Court is ‘no one-and-done program'”
According to this publication by the state of California, the following describes Governor Newson’s new plan to get Californians in crisis off the streets and into housing, treatment, and care – but if you’re only going to read one bullet point, skip to the last… ● Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Court is a […]
North Carolina: “Lawsuit accuses DHHS of ‘warehousing’ NC children with disabilities in foster care”
“They are often confined to prison-like settings under the care of a poorly trained and understaffed workforce, where they are subject to broken bones, sprains, bruises, and dangerous physical and chemical restraints,” the lawsuit contends. Disability Rights North Carolina and the North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP have joined forces to help children of […]
“And Now They Are Coming for the Unhoused: The Long Push to Expand Involuntary Treatment in America”
Reporting from Mad in America: “On November 29, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced his administration’s 11-point legislative agenda, which seeks to enforce an expanded interpretation of the state’s existing mental hygiene laws governing forced treatment.” The article describes the mayor’s decision further, then draws attention to the fact “the voices of unhoused people have been less […]
“Wait times for mental health services in Washington jails worsen as fines spiral”
The Seattle Times reporting on Joshua Marks: Arrested and booked in jail, then he would spend eight months there, waiting to be transferred to a state psychiatric hospital for mental health services. “They forgot about me pretty much,” said Marsh, speaking by phone from Western State Hospital, where he was ultimately moved in late September. […]
Indiana DOC lawsuit: Mentally ill Black inmates are majority in segregation
This piece from NPR illustrates the intersection of racism, criminal justice, and mental illness that leads to medical incarceration. “Black inmates who need mental health care spend more time in segregation and far less time with counselors than their white counterparts in Illinois prisons, according to a new complaint filed in federal court seeking better […]
Pittsburgh: Healing or dehumanizing – Experts explore the rise in involuntary psychiatric commitment petitions
Involuntary psychiatric commitment is a form of medical incarceration where an individual is confined at a psychiatric hospital without their consent. “Amanda, I’m so sorry. The cops are here.” Panic shot through Amanda Wilson as she looked up from the hammock chair on the back deck of her Millvale home, taking in the grim expression […]
Medical Incarceration: A Minnesota teen struggling with severe mental illness and charged with numerous crimes sat in juvenile detention, often isolated.
This young person’s mental illness has led to many inadequate treatment and housing options, and extensive dual involvement in both the mental health system and juvenile justice system. This reporting explains why one young man, despite being deemed incompetent to serve trial by the court, chose to go to prison in an attempt to get […]
Lousiana: Juvenile offender with mental illness tried as an adult, sent to solitary confinement on death row.
Placing inmates in solitary confinement for their physical and/or mental safety is a form of medical incarceration. It’s extremely counter-productive due to the astronomical exacerbation of mental illness done by solitary, especially for youth. According to reporting by eyewitness investigator Mike Perlstein, Alonzo Defillo Jr. ended up on death row at the nation’s bloodiest prison, […]