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Mentally Ill Offenders Strain Juvenile System

By Steve Hall

That's the title of Solomon Moore's report in today's New York Times.  LINK  It's datelined from Ohio.  Here's a brief excerpt from the beginning of this must read:The teenager in the padded smock sat in his solitary confinement cell here in this state?s most secure juvenile prison and screamed obscenities. The youth, Donald, a 16-year-old, his eyes glassy from lack of sleep and a daily regimen of mood stabilizers, was serving a minimum of six months for breaking and entering. Although he had received diagnoses for psychiatric illnesses, including bipolar disorder, a judge decided that Donald would get better care in the state correctional system than he could get anywhere in his county. That was two years ago...continue to full post

Full post as published by StandDown Texas Project on August 10, 2009 (boomark / email).