EDITORIAL: Solitary shouldn't be the only choice for mentally ill
Albuquerque Journal (NM)May 23, 2015
Once again, a person with a mental illness -- in this case schizophrenia -- languished for seven months in a solitary confinement cell, forced to exist in filthy conditions. Granted,
Romero was arrested in 2012 for misdemeanor criminal damage to property of a household member after he stripped naked and started smashing objects in his parents' home. The lawsuit alleges that "instead of treating his mental illness that compelled Alex to tear up his mattress, defendants denied Alex access to a mattress."
Depending upon how things go in federal court, the county could be on the hook for serious monetary damages if other legal cases are any indication. In 2013,
State lawmakers this year failed to pass a bill that would have banned solitary for juveniles and inmates suffering from mental illness. House Bill 376, sponsored by Rep.
Certainly, it should be noted that county jailers aren't trained as mental health professionals. And passing a Kendra's law to allow courts to force some people with mental illness to take their meds would give corrections officers a powerful tool to use in cases in which an inmate appears to be out of control.
But solitary should not be the only tool in the box.
This editorial first appeared in the
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