Do not know the source material for this editorial. (Editorial: Prisons and mental illness, Aug. 7, 2015, CAMBRIDGE Chronicle) But it makes unsupported statements which conflate crime, homelessness and psychiatry. The conclusions are extremely offensive to anyone ever accused of mental illness. There is no evidence of any causal connection between crime, violence and a psychiatric diagnosis. It is a pervasive misguided belief by journalists, lawyers and politicians. The drug industry supports the psychiatric industry promoting these literally fantastic beliefs. It is great for increasing the client base and income of those industries. But it remains unsupported by facts. It is one method of institutional demonizing of persons with disabilities which this editorial makes worse. Stop the insults.
[From editorial]
Massachusetts is at last beginning to come to grips with the fact that its prisons and jails are crowded with people whose “crimes” are inseparable from their mental illnesses.
[. . .]
The state’s efforts will focus on individuals whose mental health issues are the underlying reason behind their imprisonment.
[. . .]
80 percent of the prisoners are held for crimes directly traceable to drug addiction or mental illness.
http://cambridge.wickedlocal.com/article/20150807/NEWS/150807985
Editorial: Prisons and mental illness
Posted Aug. 7, 2015 at 10:39 AM
CAMBRIDGE Chronicle
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