“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 […]
Adrain Kimbrough
Adrain Kimbrough, 35, has mental illness, and died after being assaulted by another incarcerated person in an Alabama prison. Adrain’s sister stated that he was in prison for 14 years due to state negligence. He had recently been transferred from a facility where he was in a cell where he received supervision due to his […]
Stolen Lives: Alabama man ‘baked to death’ in overheated mental health prison cell
Reporting from the AP: “Thomas Lee Rutledge died of hyperthermia on Dec. 7, 2020, at William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility in Bessemer. Rutledge had an internal temperature of 109 degrees when he was found unresponsive in the mental health cell, according to the lawsuit which was filed by the man’s sister and names prison staff, […]
“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. […]
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 […]
Alabama: AMI Kids equips youth & families to overcome barriers toward more positive future
Reporting from the Greenville Advocate: “According to regional director and licensed clinical social worker, Korah Skuce, since 2018, AMI has offered comprehensive services nationwide, from preventative to residential programs. AMI partners with the Alabama Department of Youth Services to offer family services like Functional Family Therapy (FFT), a nationally recognized, family- and community-based model designed […]
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 […]
People say they languish in TX prisons’ “mental health” unit
“They were destroying me,” said one person placed in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s “Program for the Aggressive Mentally Ill Offender.” According to reporting by The Appeal, a voluntary TDCJ program called the “Program for the Aggressive Mentally Ill Offender” or PAMIO is part of the TDCJ’s broader system of managed care. Through this […]
Lawrence County Creating More Efficient Mental Health Response Models
(Lawrence County, Pennsylvania) Many municipalities are adopting a mental health alternative to 911 calls. For example, multiple counties in Pennsylvania pairs a mental health responder to a designated officer. However, Lawrence County has identified some issues with that model and have pivoted to a more efficient method. According to the district attorney, “This model is based […]
The Police Killing of Jerrim Toms
Jerrim Toms was a 29-year-old working as a mechanic apprentice. Toms was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had a history of mental unwellness. Joan, Toms’ mother, had called police asking for a welfare check on her 29-year-old son, after he kicked her out of the house. “He’s kicked me out of the house. He’s threatening […]