[lex24]

Remember "the Naked Guy" anyone? Andrew Martinez sat next to me in Home Room in High School. He wasn't my best friend, but certain A friend, who played on the football team as a lineman and helped make practices super fun.

After he succumbed to mental illness he was treated as a criminal, not as someone mentally ill, and he killed himself in jail. 

This is just to say it's good for people to recognize mental illness can drive criminal behavior and the mentally ill should be treated as needing treatment more than policing. Doesn't mean there isn't a place for Police when dealing with their behavior, but there should absolutely be one for counselors and mental health professionals.

I wish it was that easy. It is, of course, important for people to try to help the mentally ill get treatment.  One major problem is that so many of the mentally ill dont want treatment.  And it’s very difficult to impose treatment upon one that doesn’t want it.  Legally your options are limited. 

And, of course, in the criminal arena, being mentally ill in and of itself is not a defense. Nor should it be.  Being adjudged legally insane is a defense.   But that’s a very different standard. 

It is a multi faceted problem.  I certainly don't have the answers.

[lex24]

Remember "the Naked Guy" anyone? Andrew Martinez sat next to me in Home Room in High School. He wasn't my best friend, but certain A friend, who played on the football team as a lineman and helped make practices super fun.

After he succumbed to mental illness he was treated as a criminal, not as someone mentally ill, and he killed himself in jail. 

This is just to say it's good for people to recognize mental illness can drive criminal behavior and the mentally ill should be treated as needing treatment more than policing. Doesn't mean there isn't a place for Police when dealing with their behavior, but there should absolutely be one for counselors and mental health professionals.

I wish it was that easy. It is, of course, important for people to try to help the mentally ill get treatment.  One major problem is that so many of the mentally ill dont want treatment.  And it’s very difficult to impose treatment upon one that doesn’t want it.  Legally your options are limited. 

And, of course, in the criminal arena, being mentally ill in and of itself is not a defense. Nor should it be.  Being adjudged legally insane is a defense.   But that’s a very different standard. 

It is a multi faceted problem.  I certainly don't have the answers.