Thoughts on this

**BEK** · 07-17-07, 02:11 AM

I was watching CNN and saw a investigation into the mentally ill community. The story was about how cops have to deal with the mentally ill where 20 years ago the mentally ill were locked up in hospital. The report showed prisons where the were housing mentally ill and that the prison system is housing more mentally ill people than the state hospital. So my poll question that I am posting here and will prolly be on another forums site shortly is this. Do you think that the states need to bring back state hospitals and start filling them or should the mentally ill remain out in public and in our state and local prison systems. Vote and discuss.

**smokey703** · 07-17-07, 02:20 AM

I feel that the state hospitals should be brought back. I think that put the mentally ill in prisons is part of the problem when it comes to overcrowding. And you can't just leave them on the streets to give them the chance to do harm to someone or themselves.

**BEB** · 07-17-07, 02:25 AM

But where will we draw our politicians from?

You know, Catholic charities used to go a long way. Just one of many examples.

$660 million to protect one dirty bird (Cardinal) is wrong.
So so wrong.

**Sapper_132** · 07-17-07, 02:29 AM

I'd have to research this a little more. I'd hate to see my taxes go up any more. But I agree that some dirty little priest shouldn't be there he belongs in the big house!

**k-9max** · 07-17-07, 02:31 AM

kinda like the "sling-blade" deal,

**Terminator** · 07-17-07, 02:48 AM

Bring'em back, and keep'em in the looney bin.

**Tony** · 07-17-07, 02:51 AM

Gee, we're so similar in so many ways. Our State Govt closed most of the institutes and we have too many homeless mentally ill roaming the streets and we've had a few "suicide-by-cop" since. One a few streets away from where I live. Okay for the bloke who wanted to die, not so good for my mate who had to shoot him.

They release them because if they're on their meds, they can cope but so many stop taking them and then they're a loose cannon again.

**Ianl6** · 07-17-07, 07:34 AM

I think it would be a good thing to bring them back but not just to put people to get them off the streets,but for those who commit a crime and need to be put away for a long time.That might make it less of a burden on the prison system.

**Vendetta** · 07-17-07, 08:28 AM

We still have state mental hospitals in Virginia where people are committed by judges. The prison I worked at for 5 years was both a maximum security prison and licensed mental health hospital.

I think as law enforcement we are WAY too involved in the mental health system and it seems to be getting worse. We usually get called when someone if acting crazy then we pick them up on a Law Enforcement ECO and transport them to get evaluated. Our local mental health agency it horrible as far as working with us, response time, etc.

What really kills me about Virginia is if someone is a resident of our county goes to the other end of the state and goes off the deep end and gets committed we are legally required by code to go and transport that person. We have had to drive hours just to transport someone to a facility 30 minutes away from where they are.

The mental health agencies should have to transport these people. They have state vehicles. The crazy people usually ask the mental health people before we get there if they are going to be handcuffed. The mental health people not wanting to piss them off tell them probably not, knowing good and well that we cuff everyone. Then we get there and all hell breaks loose when we handcuff them.
A few months ago we had to go and pick this woman up for mental health. We had to talk to her for about 30 minutes to keep from having to fight her. She went with us and the mental health people kept our deputy tied up for like 4 hours and then sent her home. The next day I go to work and they send me to pick her up again and transport her to a facility. I asked mental health why they didnt do it the night before and they said that they were too busy to find her a placement. Bullshit!!!!!!!!! If she was crazy enough to be a danger to herself on Monday then she was still crazy on Tuesday.

Sorry for the rant but this is a big pet peeve for me

**gozling** · 07-17-07, 08:49 AM

I think we still have one in the middle of the state somewhere but I havent done my research...
Yes...there needs to be more...
the jail is overrun with mentally ill.. the 9th floor is particular for them and its booked solid. There needs to be a separate place for these people who commit crimes.
right now they go to the jail and are held for three months where they have three separate mental evaluations and then they see the judge and he/she decides what happens.
It is an awful slow process and keeps everything backed up

**Willowdared** · 07-17-07, 12:06 PM

Why can't they make psych meds time release like depo-prevera?

How about probation terms for those who are contacted for psych issues....they have to report to a doctor and prove they are taking their meds, or they go back to the hospital?

We have a State Psych Hospital that serves as a high security detention facility, and we have psych hospitals, but they can only hold someone for a limited time.