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Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Federal Court Deems Solitary Confinement Of Mentally Ill Cruel And Unusual Punishment



Indiana’s confinement of mentally ill prisoners in solitary confinement is cruel and unusual under the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment, a federal judge ruled last week in one of just a handful of decisions on the severe treatment. In a sweeping class action ruling that affects all current and future mentally ill patients subject to segregated confinement in the state, U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt found that the “effect of segregation on mentally ill prisoners in Indiana is toxic to their welfare,” exacerbating their condition and severely limiting their chances for rehabilitation:

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10 comments:

Anonymous said...

maybe it is rulings like this that create the problems like we had in Sandy Hook, etc. mentally ill folks can be dangerous (notice i said can be - not all are)and they sometimes need to be confined

Anonymous said...

So confining a dangerously mentally ill patient WITH a roommate would not be cruel and unusual punishment, except to the roommate picked to be incarcerated with him. THAT would then become cruel and unusual punishment of the roommate, which the solution to that becomes.....

Anybody?...

Set them both out into public and force cruel and unusual punishment on everyone else in the Country.

-OR-

Do what is right, and keep him in solitary. If that is deemed too cruel and unusual, put him to death.

Case closed.

Anonymous said...

What is cruel is thet are jailed, crimminalized and not under medical care in a psyc hospital getting treatment.

Anonymous said...

A deranged person uses a gun for mass killing many condem guns, lawmakers want to change gun laws and the public wants revenge.

A drunk driver kills a family with a car and the car is blamed?

What is wrong with this picture?
The psyciatrist did not hospitalize the person when he displayed psychotic behavior.



Anonymous said...

maybe it is rulings like this that create the problems like we had in Sandy Hook, etc. mentally ill folks can be dangerous (notice i said can be - not all are)and they sometimes need to be confined

January 9, 2013 1:42 PM

Wow it seems you have your own mental health issues. How you equate this with Newtown is beyond me.

And the issue isn't about being CONFINED. It is about being confined in SOLITARY.

As in MORE damage to their mental health.

Anonymous said...

What is cruel is thet are jailed, crimminalized and not under medical care in a psyc hospital getting treatment.

January 9, 2013 6:20 PM

Ah, finally, an intelligent comment.

Anonymous said...

Did ANYONE read all the words in the article, or was I the only one?

5:06 PM.

Wow.

Anonymous said...

8:53 PM

Article? What article?

Anonymous said...

Poor babies. We should coddle them further & above all else be certain their comfort level is maintained.

Anonymous said...

..."jailed, crimminalized and not under medical care in a psyc hospital getting treatment."

They can't be reformed. In every case hospital stays EXPIRE before the perp does.
Keep them in solitary. It costs the least. For the rest of their lives if you can't see to euthanize them. (we'll call it that since they're not responsible & can't be executed.)