If we are not our brother’s keeper continue to house most of the mentally ill in jails. After all, who cares if they get put in isolation wards when they misbehave there. So that is a form of torture. They usually are put on the cheapest medications not always the proper ones. Families are being destroyed not to say anything of the individuals there. I am sure the suicide rate is high.

I saw this coming decades ago when the states started closing down their state hospitals. The money did not follow into community services but just “evaporated”. Hospitalizations are very expensive. Partials are very cost effective. There is no way a person can be stabilized in a few days. At least in a partial you can be monitored over a long period of time. The therapeutic level of a psychotropic medication is often one to two weeks.

Are we our brother’s keeper? Yes! Yes! We are commanded to take care of the weak, the infirm, those in poverty and the mentally ill. We can not turn our heads to them. Each individual must do his/her part to alleviate their suffering. Our society has become so far away from that. So do your part no matter the role you take. It is never too late to start.

It is a travesty there are more mentally ill in prisons than in hospitals.  Part of that is there are few state hospitals and often the money disappeared.  It, often, did not go for the necessary community services to provide the support some people needed.  In fact, the budget for service for the mentally ill already bare bone keeps getting trimmed.  What ever happened to the idea we are our brothers’ keeper.  Now the jails are being forced to treat the mentally ill.  And they want to use as little money as possible, use the cheapest drugs when other new ones would be more appropriate.  If you are manic they force you to take Thorazine for it is a cheap but is an outmoded treatment.  If you are a prisoner and happen to be mentally ill you have no civil rights or say about the matter.  It is really disgusting and inhumane.