Insane

Insane

Adult nonfiction
"It is important to acknowledge how often race, poverty, and
mental illness overlap in the criminal justice system, creating a
mutually reinforcing downward spiral. But of all the gross imbalances
of our current approach to criminal justice, perhaps no group has been
hurt as much as people with mental illness. Once they are caught in
the criminal justice system, they are far less able to cope with its
demands and are at much higher risk for exploitation and abuse. This
book seeks to understand why we are shunting some of the most
vulnerable people in America into jails and prisons--and why they have
been so mistreated when they get there."
I worry about my trans sibling, Harte, who has the double burden
of severe brain damage and mental illness. I've known him all his
life, but I often can't follow his line of thought when we talk on the
phone. He would never hurt anyone. But a police officer might
encounter a very large person behaving strangely and feel threatened.
As Alisa Roth (quoted above) points out in Insane: America's Criminal
Treatment of Mental Illness, out of every four police victims, one
suffers from mental illness.
Roth gives readers a candid look at the very harmful place that
ends up housing too many of our most vulnerable citizens. There are
far too few treatment units. For many prisoners sent out to mental
hospitals for treatment, the game plan is not health restoration, but
competency (to appear in court) attainment. They must be able to
state, for example, where the judge sits and what (s)he does.
Medications are often used not for health, but for maintaining law and
order. Solitary is much too often seen as a solution, even though it
exacerbates psychological problems. Ironically it is used as
punishment for self harm and suicide attempts.
Underlying all the other problems of jails and prisons housing
people with mental illness is the incompatible missions of corrections
and therapy. These institutions, housing large numbers of people,
many of them quite dangerous, must be about control and
micromanagement. Therapy must nurture connection in an atmosphere of
trust.
If you have a loved one with mental illness and the potential to
get caught up in the correctional system or care about the fate of
some of America's most vulnerable citizens, you'll find Insane to be a
must read.
On a personal note, Artsapalooza is this coming Saturday. I'm working
on getting forty minutes of original poetry ready. I hope I get a few
people. One of the most popular events of the night is at the same
time at a different locale. Yikes!
A great big shout out goes out to all who are doing the behind the
scenes work that enables Artsapalooza to happen every year.
jules hathaway



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