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Stop Criminalizing the Mentally Ill

By Kristin Houle

That's the title of this week's column by Dr. María Félix-Ortiz ("Society, and judges, should stop criminalizing the mentally ill," San Antonio Express-News, February 26, 2008). Dr. Félix-Ortiz reinforces the fact that people with mental illness are not inherently prone to violence; in reality, they are more likely to be the victims of crime. She also provides suggestions for outpatient treatment and other preventative programs. "Recent comments made by Judge Tom Rickhoff of Probate Court 2 to KSAT evening news (Feb. 15), suggest a need for educating our criminal justice community about severe mental illness. I was not surprised by his recognition of a problem, but quite disappointed by his proposed solutions. The judge's comments reminded me of what might happen if you ask a carpenter to fix your sink: He's likely to address the problem with the tool he uses most, his hammer...continue to full post

Full post as published by Prevention Not Punishment on February 28, 2008 (boomark / email).