An insightful Fault Lines segment examines how prison systems have become America’s largest psychiatric hospitals, with a substantial focus on the Harris County and Texas prison systems.
Houston's Clear Thinkers
Longtime Houston attorney Tom Kirkendall's observations on developments in law, business, medicine, culture, sports, and other matters of general interest to the Houston business, professional, and academic communities.
Quite often, those with mental illness do not *want* treatment, whether through rational or irrational conclusion. When the “institutions” were around, we *forced* treatment upon them. Then we deemed that to be improper. So now…
Somebody encounters a police officer while doing something “wrong”. Incarceration is a possibility if a crime has been committed. If the person has a mental illness, are they competent to stand trial? Or do we ignore the illness? Or what? Jail sucks, but 3 hots and a cot *and* meds versus homeless life on the street?
This is certainly much more complex than most imagine.