Mentally-ill man jailed 4 months for stealing $5 of snacks dies in cell

a reply to: MamaJ

Apparently, prisons are mental health facilities if a very minor crime has been committed. This began in the early 1980's when Geraldo Rivera did a special on mental health facilities dealing with people that were hard to manage. The effect was a dis-service to people who would rather have been in a hospital setting.

Also, the film "One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest" imparted a negative connotation and believe it or not people believe what they see in films. Even though few become violent they need to be cared for differently and once there is a crime committed they usually go into a prison, separate area from the general population, meds are dispensed, doctors care for them etc. Some are actually very good at this. I watched a special on it.

originally posted by: LadyGreenEyes
a reply to: Kali74

Before we jump tp conclusions, perhaps we should wait on an official cause of death?

Second line.

Too late for that, I've walked in and out of that hell several times and it is not a place fit for an animal let alone human beings. The food is indeed poisonous to your body which is why I have never eaten a single meal while locked up. Fortunately I was never in their long enough to think twice about touching that garbage.

You can look at people who have been incarcerated for long periods of time and tell they have lived unhealthy lives behind bars. Their skin looks bad almost like a grayish color, their mental health is almost always never the same. The whole thing needs to be overhauled but we know it will be a long time if ever before that happens. First thing the establishment has to do to curve any interest and compassion towards this issue from the people would be put out a cost report. Then we the people would go "oh nope cost's too much and I'm not kicking out anymore taxes for that and back to business as usual.

I have often wondered about the mental health and capacity of the employees within that system. I mean you have to be an unempathetic and uncaring person to be able to contribute to a system that treats people or any living creature that way. I guess some people just know and accept that they are turd bags and will obediently accept any scraps that will be thrown at them and justify it by saying "hey I gotta eat too and I'm too stupid and lazy to do anything else".

SICKENING!!!!

There are over 10 times the # of seriously mental ill in prisons, than in hospitals. Sad but true. It's a huge issue.

So I'm not surprised.. although it's a rather sad story.

originally posted by: fleabit
There are over 10 times the # of seriously mental ill in prisons, than in hospitals. Sad but true. It's a huge issue.

So I'm not surprised.. although it's a rather sad story.

My state recently made some cutbacks in the budget. (Republican state (of course) and the first thing to be chopped?
Mental Health, of course. Looks like the Repubs don't think too highly of "If you have done it to the least of them".....
Such freaking frauds.

a reply to: MamaJ

That's fine, but again my point is the issue seems to be lack of funding for beds in mental institutions or even the laws that landed him in there in 5 theft. The end result was he died in jail, I just think the cause and the solution are to be addressed Olin other areas. Where as some seem to think this is terrible, jails, fault, it's evil...I'll continue to complain. Ok if it's all those things then a solution is needed, I doubt that will come in the jails anyway. There are however solutions to look at, that could prevent it to start with.

a reply to: Reallyfolks

What makes you think there isn't a solution? They just aren't being implemented....

There are solutions indeed, however money can't be made only spent in the solution department.

originally posted by: MamaJ
a reply to: Reallyfolks

What makes you think there isn't a solution? They just aren't being implemented....

There are solutions indeed, however money can't be made only spent in the solution department.

I didn't say there isn't a solution. I was very clear in laying out two places where the solution seems to be. Not really sure what you are posting, based on that response not sure you do either.

a reply to: Reallyfolks

That's fine, but again my point is the issue seems to be lack of funding for beds in mental institutions or even the laws that landed him in there in 5 theft. The end result was he died in jail, I just think the cause and the solution are to be addressed Olin other areas. Where as some seem to think this is terrible, jails, fault, it's evil...I'll continue to complain. Ok if it's all those things then a solution is needed, I doubt that will come in the jails anyway. There are however solutions to look at, that could prevent it to start with.

You state above there is a solution. Yet you dance around the solution of funding and in the end say once again... there are solutions to look at.

Which is WHY I posted the solution cannot be had because of GREED. Plain and simple.... GREED. I have witnessed it first hand and believe me... there is absolutely zero compassion in my state for the mentally ill. PERIOD.

How tragic. Portsmouth/Norfolk area is locally referred to as the "armpit of the Ches-bay" and local LE have a reputation for not being overly kind. The first crime is charging $5 for a candy bar, a snack cake and a mountain dew.

How do allow a 185lb man wither away to 90lbs without intervention?
They said there was no sign of foul play?
WTF is starving a man to death if not foul play?
All over a handful of junk food is what really makes this obscene.

Years back when they decided to close down many of the state mental health institutions people warned that jails would take in the people that the hospitals used to care for. This has happened over and over again where the mentally ill are tossed in jail where they often sicken and die just like this poor man. My heart goes out to his family.

originally posted by: MamaJ
a reply to: Reallyfolks

That's fine, but again my point is the issue seems to be lack of funding for beds in mental institutions or even the laws that landed him in there in 5 theft. The end result was he died in jail, I just think the cause and the solution are to be addressed Olin other areas. Where as some seem to think this is terrible, jails, fault, it's evil...I'll continue to complain. Ok if it's all those things then a solution is needed, I doubt that will come in the jails anyway. There are however solutions to look at, that could prevent it to start with.

You state above there is a solution. Yet you dance around the solution of funding and in the end say once again... there are solutions to look at.

Which is WHY I posted the solution cannot be had because of GREED. Plain and simple.... GREED. I have witnessed it first hand and believe me... there is absolutely zero compassion in my state for the mentally ill. PERIOD.

Point is that if you are looking for solutions in the jails, probably not happening. You then need to look at funding for more beds or law changes when someone steals 5 in food. As far as greed, ok the government at any level is greedy and I agree with that. As far as greedy state goes, either private organizations step up when government fails or move to a state with a less greedy government, if one exist

a reply to: Reallyfolks

No doubt... in a perfect world everything you say sounds wonderful.

Asking for more funding and calling representatives hasn't worked but maybe it will sooner than later.

There is a serious lack of understanding about mental illness in this country. Lack of treatment lack of understanding lack of resources for people. The mentally ill are swept under the rug and fall through the cracks. Metal illness is far more common then most people think. 1% of the population has schizophrenia thats 1 in a 100. Most go through life not knowing they have it or it isn't severe enough that it impacts daily life to where they need medication. Most mentally ill are just stereotyped as being crazy. They've closed down most mental hospitals and now the prison system is the one to deal with them. It's disgusting that someone with a limited mental complicity and understanding of right and wrong could make a minor mistake and end up in a jail or prison cell instead of getting treatment. What little resources this country has for the mentally ill has been stretched so thin that for most it's nearly impossible to get the help they need so they end up on the street or in jail.

a reply to: wantsome

Then some needs to come along in the state saying we have this number of people needing these services. In order to do that we need x number of dollars. At that point they then figure out what current programs are cut, or provide away to get that revenue by other means. Then make it part of a platform and people can vote on it considering this issue along with others. If it's not happening people need to push the issue. Without that happening, these stories are just awareness raisers and nothing more

a reply to: Kali74

Perhaps he was catatonic and if that was the case...

Catatonia must be a horrible affliction. I can't imagine what it would be like for your mind to degrade and have your body follow-it sounds like acute dementia.

I had a friend that went through this- he wouldn't eat or sleep and I had to call an ambulance, he didn't know where he was and I have not seen him since. We were friends for a decade; he had his problems and he made his mistakes, and a hope that he is taken care of because I tried to take care of him myself but I just couldn't do it.

originally posted by: windword
a reply to: Kali74

This is a sad, sad story. I read that he was so despondent that he never made a visitor list, so his family was never allowed to visit him.

Why would people be limited on who can visit them? Why have a "visitor list"? And how is it legal to charge me money to talk to someone in jail over the phone? Modern phone systems don't operate on minutely costs in the first place, and even if they did it simply does not cost what is charged.

All the arguing about force-feeding.

Look, if someone steals something make them pay back 3xs the amount. $5 worth of stuff? Make him fork over $15. It's not that hard. And it fits the crime.

Sorry, months in jail for a candy bar is stupid and wrong.

Steal $30,000 worth of stuff? Have to pay back $90,000. You see how the more you steal, the harsher the sentence is? And it is a lot more just than taking a person's life away from him. And even if you need to take their liberty away until they pay off the debt of the crime, how long is it going to take to make $15? Even at $1 an hour you'd be done in 15 hours.

a reply to: JackReyes

Sorry, months in jail for a candy bar is stupid and wrong.

I don't even know how one can justify such stupidity!!??

Why do we not have a say in how our city is ran? I feel like if something like this can happen I need to take control. lol

I don't know if you guys know this, but a lot of jails in certain states don't let inmates take medications while they are there. It is because the jails have to pay for them, and they just decide not to give them out instead.

originally posted by: darkbake
I don't know if you guys know this, but a lot of jails in certain states don't let inmates take medications while they are there. It is because the jails have to pay for them, and they just decide not to give them out instead.

I would say that the 8th amendment makes that highly unlikely but if you have any info you could provide I would be interested.

a reply to: MamaJ

Just a guess on my part, but it sounds like your husband got adjudicated probation, which essentially means you pay a bunch of fines and jump through probation hoops for a few years. If at any time you mess up, and not necessarily for a fault of your own (messing up includes being a day late on the monthly fines), you go to jail, get no credit for probation time or fines spent, and get a larger sentence than the original one.

It happened to a friend of mine once, he got caught with some weed in Texas. For the next 5 years he paid something like $100/week in fines and a probation officer got to dictate where/when he could work. Towards the end of those 5 years (he had another 2 or so to go) he ran into an issue with identity theft and missed a court mandated payment while the bank was getting everything straightened out. All of this was to avoid an original jail sentence of a month, it got doubled to two, and he did his time.

At the end of it all he said doing the time was the best thing that happened to him because he now had the freedom to peruse a career and he wasn't giving the court ridiculous amounts of money to do nothing.