Here's another example of the psychiatric industry creating business opportunities within the criminal justice system. If the issue is competency to stand trial the threshold is very low. Dangerousness is a separate issue. The article does not explain the focus of the court ordered evaluation. What special abilities do psychiatrists or psychologists have to predict the future? Competency is for the trial. But evaluations are usually ordered at the arraignment which can be many months before trial. What value is a six-month old evaluation when the trial begins? But if the defendant is not "dangerous," and not "violent," what justifies ordering forced treatment? Will the government evaluate the entire population as the drug industry desires?
[From article]
"He's not dangerous. He's not violent. But the man accused of stalking the granddaughter of JFK could use some additional psych exams -- and it's not yet clear if he's mentally fit to be tried."
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/kennedy_stalker_just_nutty_mWtFNee7mNnLNMmkiQsVPI
Kennedy 'stalker' just nutty
By LAURA ITALIANO
New York Post
Last Updated: 6:32 AM, January 22, 2011
Posted: 1:15 AM, January 22, 2011
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment