Enforced treatment is not needed for people who are able to manage their psychiatric conditions and stay out of jails and hospitals. However, statistics proved that AOT programs would reduce recidivism for the nation's 1.25 million mentally ill inmates, save lives, reduce homelessness, and restore many people to wholesome living.
AOT programs cost significantly less than incarceration. Consider that each inmate in New York costs taxpayers $168,000 per year to warehouse. Private prisons began AFTER budgets for America's most vulnerable people -- the mentally ill -- were cut, and they became inmates rather than inpatients and outpatients. Families throughout the country of all races are greatly traumatized when the injustice system captures and imprisons their sick relatives for behavior they could not control and breaking laws they did not understand. Only prison investors are happy about jails and prisons having become America's new mental hospitals. Mandatory AOT programs would shift most of the $80 billion+ annually that is presently going to the prison system back to psychiatric treatment and subsistence assistance.
Whereas sudden cessation of heart drugs can cause death, sudden cessation of psychiatric drugs can cause psychotic episodes that threaten not only mentally ill people but also their families and communities. I believe that most mentally ill inmates are on psychotropic drugs. To release them without a mandate for continuing their treatment under the care of a qualified mental health facility is dangerous for them and for society. To release mentally challenged inmates without provisions for their nutrition and housing is unethical and immoral - a setup for their return to prison or worse.
People who are beyond making rational decisions are disabled and deserve food and housing as well as appropriate medical and psychiatric treatment whether or not they agree. What are your thoughts on mandatory AOT programs for all mentally ill people upon prison and jail release?
Assistance to the Incarcerated Mentally Ill (AIMI) vs. USA re Mentally Illness in America
On the first Saturday and Sunday of each month, potential claimants for "AIMI vs. USA" meet in a phone conference to discuss our cases at 9am Pacific, 10am Mountain, 11am Central, and 12pm EDT. Assistance to the Incarcerated Mentally Ill (AIMI) plans to file an action in International Court on behalf of mentally ill and drug/alcohol addicts in America, demanding restitution for long-term homelessness, torture, and deaths. We also discuss AIMI's List of Suggested Changes for United Nations' directives to the USA to decriminalize mental illness and comply with the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment.
You can connect with the conference at FreeConferenceCall.com dial-in no. (605)562-0020, Meeting ID Code: 992-212-650. If that presents a problem, please hang up and dial the backup number (805)360-1075. You can also connect at Blogtalkradio: (347)857-3293. Everyone who is prevented from calling is requested to please dial Mary Neal's home number and report the unlawful interference at (770)879-5163. Freedom of speech and peaceful assembly are our rights.
Up to 100 mentally ill people and families will be claimants in "AIMI vs. USA," in International Court in 2015 to bring exposure to cruel and unusual treatment of persons with mental disabilities and addictions. Your participation is invited. Whether or not you wish to become a Claimant, you may have suggestions related to our List of Suggested Changes that will be presented to the UN.
Mental illness affects all Americans, whether directly or indirectly. Over half of the nation's prisoners are mentally ill. Our present prison costs are over $80billion per year. Nobody can be punished into a state of mental health. Treatment should replace punishment for mentally ill people and drug/alcohol addicts in the USA.
Paragraph 1 repeated: Enforced psychiatric treatment and subsistence assistance under assisted outpatient treatment programs (AOT) are preferable to imprisonment for mentally challenged people. My brother and many other sick people were and are tortured and murdered every year in jails and prisons throughout the country -- if sick people live through their lunacy arrests by paranoid, untrained cops.
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Human Rights for Prisoners March
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Mary Neal, director
