No, things are far from being that bad.  In fact, conditions for the mentally ill in America are really looking up!  This year our legislators worked together from both sides of the aisle and enacted bills to provide better access to care for our mentally ill citizens.  Three very important bills!

CONGRATULATIONS, REPRESENTATIVES!  THANK YOU FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT.

Furthermore, the Bush Administration reported that homelessness is down this year due to a new program that provides permanent housing and basic subsistence for chronically homeless persons.   These are excellent developments. 

However, there are still many reasons to be concerned for these vulnerable citizens.  About 1.25 million prisoners in the U.S. have mental disorders. We believe they should either be removed to secure hospital environments to promote HEALING, or released to community care under mandatory treatment provisions, depending on their offenses.  Despite significant advancements in 2008 that improve mental patients' access to care, our new laws do not affect acute psychiatric patients who lack the wherewithal to seek treatment.

Almost every month, one reads of another mental patient being Tasered to death or badly abused, either by thugs in their communities or as prisoners. Sometimes, abuses and deaths of psychiatric patients are swept under the rug rather than investigated and prosecuted.  Everyone should have equal protection under the law.  And no one should be imprisoned for being sick.

I have reflected often on the Nazi's murdering their mentally ill citizens during the five years since my brother's secret death.  If the lives of our mentally ill, disabled, and terminally ill citizens are undervalued to the degree I find that my brother Larry's was, then Americans should be concerned for relatives and friends who are challenged by Alzheimer’s, Autism, Down Syndrome, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, dementia, and those who are elderly or suffer from terminal illnesses.  All such people were considered expendable in Nazi Germany.  Whereas the U.S. is nothing like Nazi Germany, the mentally ill in our country do seem to hold second class citizenship.

We are working to change that.  Great strides have already been made recently to relieve the mentally ill and their families regarding improvements in job protection for workers and placing mental health care on a par with physical illness in insurance plans.  We at AIMI are confident that mental illness will eventually be decriminalized in America.  Let us keep a good thing going!

You made a wonderful decision to come help, AIMI members!  Please just choose a committee and let's get to work!  If you have little time, there is still much you can do.  For instance: 

1)  invite your friends to join AIMI,

2)  sign and promote our petitions,

3)  send news you find about mental illness to Mairead, our host and our Internet news Committee chair, and

4)  please mention Assistance to the Incarcerated Mentally Ill when you note Care2 news (use the whole name and let them know they can find us in the HR groups at Care2). 

Also, if you comment on news presented anywhere on the Internet, mention the work we are doing to:

a)  decriminalize mental illness in America,

b)  reduce the stigma associated with mental dysfunctions,

c)  educate the public as to the immorality and high cost of criminalizing this common health problem,

d)  eliminate private prisons,

e)  encourage more responsiveness for U.S.A.'s mentally ill citizens from our legislators and public policy decision-makers,

f)   render practical, personal assistance to families impacted by imprisonment of their mentally ill loved ones,

g)  advocate against the death penalty, especially for mental patients, children, and condemned persons whose guilt is not proved,

h)  promote enforced treatment for acute mental patients who don't realize they need psychiatric help, in order to avoid crisis situations that endanger the patients and society and put the patients at risk for imprisonment, and

i)  read and contribute to our posts and start new discussions.

Bless you for becoming an AIMI member!  You already helped just by joining.  I thank you, and all of us at AIMI welcome you!

Mary, Hosts, and Members of
Assistance to the Incarcerated Mentally Ill
P.O. Box 7222, Atlanta, GA  30357
770.651.8413

See:  http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/AIMI

See also:  http://wrongfuldeathoflarryneal.com/