Criminal Law

Statement from MVFHR and NAMI on World Days

Posted on October 08, 2009
Murder Victims? Families for Human RightsNational Alliance on Mental IllnessStatement on World Day Against the Death Penaltyand World Mental Health DayOctober 10, 2009The World Coalition Against the Death Penalty has designated October 10th ?World DayAgainst the Death Penalty,? and the World Federation for Mental Health has designatedOctober 10th ?World Mental Health Day...

Groundbreaking New Report from MVFHR/NAMI

Posted on July 06, 2009
For Immediate Release Contact: Susannah ShefferJuly 6, 2009 617-512-2010 sheffer@aceweb...

FRONTLINE:

Posted on April 28, 2009
Tonight (April 28, 2009) PBS will air a new episode of FRONTLINE: "The Released" (60 minutes),which documents what happens when offenders with mental illness leave prison. It is scheduled to air at 9:00 PM EDT; check your local listings.Here's a message from the Senior Editor:Five years ago, FRONTLINE filmmakers Karen O'Connor and Miri Navasky went deep inside the Ohio prison system to see how it was caring for thousands of mentally ill inmates - a growing problem for prisons nationwide in the wake of the shutdown of most of the old state psychiatric hospitals...

Expansion of Programs in Texas Counties to Divert Mentally Ill From Prisons

Posted on April 24, 2009
According to Marc A. Levin of the Houston Chronicle, several counties in Texas are expanding programs to divert mentally ill offenders from prisons, saving millions of tax payer dollars. The article ("Expand program to divert mentally ill from prisons", April 22nd 2009) outlines several programs being instituted by Bexar, El Paso, and Tarrant counties to reduce the amount of mentally ill recidivists and money spent on their incarceration...

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More on Andre Thomas, Insanity Defense

Posted on April 13, 2009
The case of Texas death row inmate Andre Thomas has prompted a great deal of discussion about the insanity defense and about whether the death penalty is an appropriate punishment for offenders with severe mental illness. Here's an article that appeared Sunday in the Dallas Morning News ("Case Fuels Texas Debate on Insanity Defense," April 12, 2009): Everyone agrees Andre Thomas is crazy...

Death row inmate takes plea and life in prison

Posted on April 01, 2009
According to the Associated Press, Charles Mines has been taken off death row after being granted a new punishment trial. Mines will now spend the remainder of his life in prison ("Death Row Inmate Takes Plea and Life in Prison", March 31, 2009) Here is the full article:A condemned Texas inmate who won a new punishment trial from an appealscourt has agreed to a plea bargain that takes him off death row but likelykeeps him imprisoned for the rest of his life...

Death row inmate loses appeal on mental illness

Posted on March 23, 2009
An article released by the Associated Press ("Death row inmate loses appeal on mental illness"), March 22, 2009 states that death row inmate Jeffrey Wood has had his mental illness appeal rejected by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Wood, who was merely an accessory to capital murder, came within hours of being executed last August but was allowed time to be tested for mental illness...

"Crazy but Sane"

Posted on March 18, 2009
That's how Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Cathy Cochran has described Texas death row inmate Andre Thomas, who made national headlines last year after he reportedly plucked out his remaining eye and ate it (Thomas had plucked out his other eye while awaiting his capital murder trial)...

Tennessee Convict may be Re-evaluated for Competency

Posted on March 18, 2009
According to The Tennessean, Paul Dennis Reid may have his competency re-evaluated. Additionally, a petition has been filed with the Davidson County Criminal Court alleging that Reid had ineffective assistance of counsel during his trial for the murder of two restaurant workers...

TX Death Sentence Overturned

Posted on March 16, 2009
According to The Daily News, Texas death row inmate Gaylon George Walbey has received a new sentencing hearing from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ("Death-row inmate could get new hearing," March 15, 2009). Here's the full article:A convicted killer sentenced to die for the 1993 slaying of a college teacher will soon return to Galveston, where attorneys will decide whether to seek a new punishment hearing or permanently remove him from death row...

Update on Paul Devoe

Posted on March 11, 2009
According to the Austin American-Statesman, capital murder defendant Paul Devoe has been found competent to stand trial: "A staff psychiatrist at North Texas State Hospital on Feb. 24 declared Paul Devoe competent to stand trial. Devoe is accused of shooting to death a man at a Marble Falls bar, four people in a Jonestown house and a woman in Pennsylvania in August 2007 before being arrested in New York...

Patient Dumping in San Antonio?

Posted on March 09, 2009
SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- The San Antonio Express-News reports nearly 600 patients discharged from the San Antonio State Hospital have been dropped off at the downtown Greyhound bus station since January 2008.One of them -- Raquel Padilla -- was found dead three days later in a concrete ditch -- having never gotten on that bus back to Del Rio...

Op-Ed: Prohibit the Death Penalty for Offenders with Mental Illness

Posted on January 16, 2009
Here's an op-ed that appeared in the The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Indiana), from Kathleen Bayes. Bayes is the executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Fort Wayne.Indiana should pass bill to prevent death penalty for severely mentally illThank You, Fort Wayne News-Sentinel editorial staff for your continued strong objection to reinstating the death sentence for Joseph Corcoran...

Legislation Re Mental Illness & the Death Penalty Introduced in North Carolina

Posted on January 14, 2009
The News & Observer reports that lawmakers in North Carolina will consider legislation aimed at prohibiting the death penalty for offenders with severe mental illness ("Bill would ban execution of mentally ill killers," January 13, 2009).Here's the full article:A coalition of advocates for the mentally ill and a state Superior Court judge spoke in favor today of legislation that would exclude the severely mentally ill from the death penalty...

More on Paul Devoe

Posted on January 14, 2009
Here's an update on Paul Devoe, from the Austin American-Statesman ("Judge orders Devoe mental records sealed," January 14, 2009):An Austin judge Tuesday sealed the psychiatric records of murder suspect Paul Devoe, a day after details from the records were aired on television...

Capital Murder Defendant Deemed Incompetent

Posted on January 13, 2009
According to the Austin American-Statesman, Paul Devoe, who is facing capital murder charges, has been deemed incompetent to stand trial (January 13, 2009). Competency relates to a defendant?s mental state at the time of trial, not at the time of the alleged crime...

Update on TX Death Row Inmate Andre Thomas

Posted on January 09, 2009
According to KXII News, Texas death row inmate Andre Thomas has injured himself once again ("Grayson Co. death row inmate gauges out other eye," January 8, 2009). Thomas has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and appears to suffer from frequent bouts with psychotic delusional states and a preoccupation with death, religious, and suicidal thoughts...

More on Andre Thomas

Posted on January 09, 2009
The New York Times has this story about Andre Thomas ("Texas Death Row Inmate Pulls Out Eye, Eats It," January 9, 2009):HOUSTON (AP) -- A Texas death row inmate with a history of mental problems pulled out his only good eye and told authorities he ate it...

Private Defender Program for Defendants with Mental Illness

Posted on January 09, 2009
Texas Lawyer has this update on new model for legal representation in Lubbock ("First Private Criminal Defender Program in Texas to Commence," January 8, 2009):"A first-of-its-kind program in Texas is scheduled to open Jan. 15 in Lubbock, providing specially trained private practitioners to represent indigent criminal defendants who are mentally ill or retarded...

New Mental Health Court in Harris County

Posted on January 08, 2009
The Houston Chronicle reports that Harris County judges have voted to get in line with the growing number of mental health courts nationwide ("Harris Judges Vote for Felony Mental Health Court," January 8, 2009). According to the Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consensus Project, "Mental health courts (MHCs) are specialized dockets that link defendants with mental illnesses to court-supervised, community-based treatment in lieu of traditional case processing...

Editorial: Unjust death penalty

Posted on January 06, 2009
The following editorial appeared today in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette regarding the case of death row inmate Joseph Corcoran. This year, the Indiana Legislature will consider a bill that would prohibit the death penalty for offenders determined to suffer from severe mental illness...

Update on Death Penalty Case in Indiana

Posted on January 02, 2009
Here's an update from The Journal Gazette on the case of Joseph Corcoran, a severely mentally ill death row inmate in Indiana ("Quadruple-murderer loses death penalty appeal," December 31, 2008):The state of Indiana can once again reinstate the death penalty against convicted quadruple-murderer Joseph E...

No Forced Medication in New Jersey Case

Posted on November 13, 2008
Law.com has this article from the New Jersey Law Journal regarding a case in which a judge has ruled against forcibly medicating a defendant in order to render him competent to stand trial ("Defendant Can't Be Forced to Take Drug to Make Him Fit for Trial, Judge Rules", 11-12-2008)...

OpEd: Mental illness must be in consideration

Posted on October 21, 2008
Here's an OpEd from George Haley, a mental health advocate in Tennessee, in which he offers his perspective as to why the death penalty is inappropriate for offenders with severe mental illness. This appeared on October 16, 2008 in The Tennessean: http://www...

Free Webinar: Law Enforcement and People with Mental Illnesses

Posted on October 20, 2008
On Tuesday, October 28, the Council of State Governments Justice Center, with support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice, will sponsor a one-hour webinar during which "national experts in law enforcement and mental health will discuss effective crisis response models...

Candidates for Harris County District Attorney Address Issue of Mental Illness

Posted on October 20, 2008
On November 4, voters in Harris County will elect a new district attorney. In an article that appeared in the Houston Chronicle ("Race for DA puts justice system on trial," October 12, 2008), candidates C.O. Bradford and Pat Lykos expressed interest in reform, with a particular emphasis on addressing the needs of inmates with mental illness...

New Resources for Victims of Crimes Committed by People with Mental Illness

Posted on October 20, 2008
Last month, the Council of State Governments Justice Center published two guides on the rights of individuals who have been victimized by people with mental illnesses - the first ever national publications on this topic. Both were supported by the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), Office of Justice Programs, U...

Families Affected by Mental Illness and the Death Penalty Gather in San Antonio

Posted on October 20, 2008
On Friday, October 3, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Murder Victims' Families for Human Rights (MVFHR) launched a groundbreaking new project, Prevention Not Execution (sound familiar?!), which brings together victims' families and families of the executed, all of whom had been affected by mental illness, murder, and the death penalty...

Message to PNP Readers

Posted on October 20, 2008
Dear Prevention Not Punishment Readers,Thank you so much for supporting this blog over the last year and a half. I apologize that my postings have been rather sparse these last couple of months.My Soros Justice Fellowship officially ended on September 1, 2008, which means that I no longer am focusing exclusively on issues related to mental illness and the death penalty...

TX Death Row Inmates Lose Appeals

Posted on October 09, 2008
Here's an update from the Associated Press regarding two Texas cases that involve issues of severe mental illness ("2 condemned killers in Texas lose appeals," October 8, 2008):"A North Texas auto mechanic whose original death sentence for the 1987 murders of a man and a 4-month-old child was overturned on appeal had his 2nd death sentence upheld Wednesday by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals...

MVFHR/NAMI Gather Next Week in San Antonio

Posted on September 23, 2008
Media AdvisorySeptember 23, 2008National Project LaunchMurder Victims? Families Oppose Death Penalty for People with Severe Mental IllnessesWashington, D.C.? Murder Victims? Families for Human Rights (MVFHR) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) will launch a national project opposing the death penalty for persons with severe mental illnesses at a press conference in San Antonio, Texas on October 3...

NAMI/MVFHR Gathering in San Antonio

Posted on September 15, 2008
This column by Dr. María Félix-Ortiz appeared in the San Antonio Express-News on September 10, 2008.Capital punishment of the mentally ill focus of meetingThis new millennium has seen substantial review of capital punishment.In 2002, in Atkins vs. Virginia, the Supreme Court wrote that the intellectually disabled can be competent, ?but, by definition, they have diminished capacities to understand and process information, to communicate, to abstract from mistakes and learn from experience, to engage in logical reasoning, to control impulses, and to understand others' reactions...

Public Gathering of Families Impacted by Mental Illness and the Death Penalty

Posted on September 04, 2008
Here's a media advisory from Murder Victims? Families for Human Rights (MVFHR) regarding a public gathering that will take place in San Antonio on Friday, October 3 at the University of Incarnate Word. If you live in San Antonio and are interested in helping with this event, please contact me at khouletx@gmail...

Effort to ban the death penalty for offenders with mental illness gains momentum in Kentucky

Posted on September 04, 2008
Here's an excerpt from a lengthy article that appeared on September 3 in LEO, the alternative weekly paper in Louisville, Kentucky. The article ("Crazy and Condemned - Kentucky Could Be the First State to Ban Executions of the Severely Mentally Ill") chronicles an emerging effort in Kentucky to secure a legislative prohibition on the death penalty for offenders with severe mental illness...

Upholding Legal Rights of Mentally Ill Defendants

Posted on August 25, 2008
That's the title of a new posting on the blog Women in Crime Ink, by Lucy Puryear, M.D.: "On June 19, 2008, the Supreme Court of the U.S. issued a decision in which it held that a higher standard must be used to determine defendants' competence to represent themselves in criminal cases than the test used to determine the accuseds' competence to stand trial...

Judge Orders Competency Evaluation for Jeff Wood

Posted on August 22, 2008
Just hours before the execution of Jeff Wood was scheduled to take place, U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia in San Antonio granted a request by Wood's attorneys to delay the execution so they could hire a mental health expert to pursue their arguments that he is incompetent to be executed...

Jeff Wood Receives Stay of Execution

Posted on August 21, 2008
A federal judge has granted a request to delay the execution of Jeff Wood, in order to allow his attorneys to hire a mental health expert to pursue their arguments that he is incompetent to be executed.Here's a press release from Texas Defender Service:STAY OF EXECUTION GRANTED IN TEXAS DEATH PENALTY CASE OF MENTALLY-ILL INMATE WHO WAS NOT TRIGGERMANWOOD EXECUTION HALTED BASED ON TEXAS STATE COURTS FAILURE TO PROVIDE DUE PROCESS ON ISSUES RELATING TO WOOD'S MENTAL ILLNESSAustin -- Today, the Federal District Court granted a stay of execution in the case of Jeff Wood to allow the court to consider compelling evidence that Jeff Wood is too mentally ill to be executed...

More on TX Inmate Jeff Wood

Posted on August 21, 2008
The following AP story contains more information about Jeff Wood's mental impairments ("Lawyers try to block execution set for Thursday," August 20, 2008). His attorneys have argued that Wood's delusions render him incompetent to be executed."Lawyers for condemned prisoner Jeffery Wood say his mental problems led him to get involved in a robbery scheme that left a Texas Hill Country store clerk murdered in a fatal shooting carried out by a partner while Wood sat outside in a car...

Controversial Execution in Texas Set For This Evening

Posted on August 21, 2008
AFP has the following story about Jeff Wood, who is scheduled to be executed in Texas this evening, barring any last-minute intervention by Governor Rick Perry ("US to Execute Mentally Ill Man," August 21, 2008). Wood was convicted under the "law of parties," even though he was not involved in the shooting death of Kriss Keeran and in fact was standing outside the convenience store when the murder took place...

LA County Jail - The Nation's Largest Mental Institution

Posted on August 18, 2008
NPR's recent series on the U.S. prison population featured a story entitled "Inside The Nation's Largest Mental Institution," which focuses on the 1,400 mentally ill inmates in the Los Angeles County Jail.Read a summary of the story or listen to the segment in its entirety here.

More on the Private Mental Health Defender's Office in Lubbock

Posted on August 18, 2008
Texas Lawyer reports that the Lubbock Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (LCDLA) aims this fall to create a private defender's office that will represent indigent defendants with mental health issues ("First and Goal: LCDLA Close to Creating Nonprofit to Run Private Defender's Office," August 11, 2008)...

More on George Banks Competency Hearing

Posted on August 18, 2008
The Citizens Voice, out of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, has this update on the competency hearing of death row inmate George Banks ("Final expert says Banks incompetent for execution," August 16, 2008):"The psychological disorders that have turned mass murderer George Banks into a rambling paranoid have not improved since before he was scheduled to be executed in December 2004, psychiatrist Richard G...

TX Death Row Inmate Raymond Riles - Incompetent to be Executed, Still on Death Row

Posted on August 13, 2008
KPRC Local 2 news in Houston recently investigated the case of Texas death row inmate Raymond Riles, who has been declared incompetent to be executed on numerous occasions. Riles has spent more than 30 years on death row and will remain there indefinitely, despite the fact that the state is not seeking an execution date (and has not done so since 1986)...

Improving Interactions Between Law Enforcement and the Mentally Ill

Posted on August 12, 2008
A recent issue of Newsweek magazine reports on programs aimed at improving police officers' response to persons with severe mental illness ("Cops and the Mentally Ill," July 31, 2008). The law enforcement community is on the front lines in addressing the needs of those with severe mental illness, given the shortage of services and treatment facilities...

Is Mentally Ill Inmate Competent to be Executed?

Posted on August 12, 2008
Here's an article from The Scranton Times-Tribune regarding Pennsylvania death row inmate George Banks ("Banks' mental capacity will be at issue at hearing," August 11, 2008), who suffers from severe mental illness. A hearing will take place later this week to determine whether Banks should be declared incompetent to be executed...

Agencies Struggle to Provide Mental Health Services in Central Texas

Posted on July 28, 2008
In "Mentally Ill Don't Belong in Jailhouse" (July 27, 2008), the Temple Daily Telegram presents a compelling and comprehensive picture of the issues facing people with severe mental illness in Central Texas. It also explores the limitations imposed on government agencies, given funding cuts, a decrease in facilities, and other constraints...

Possible New Mental Health Court in Smith County

Posted on July 28, 2008
The Tyler Morning Telegraph reports that Smith County commissioners have been asked to establish a ?mental health court,? with the aim of providing better care for offenders with mental illness and reducing jail overcrowding ("Commissioners To Consider Creating ? Mental Health Court ?", July 27, 2008)...

PA Death Row Inmates Can Be Forcibly Medicated

Posted on July 28, 2008
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that two death row inmates with mental illness can be forcibly medicated in order to render them competent to continue their appeals and face execution.Texas courts have addressed this issue in the case of death row inmate Steven Staley, who has been diagnosed with severe paranoid schizophrenia and believes that he is being poisoned by medication...

Costs of Mental Health Care Overwhelm Harris County Jail

Posted on July 21, 2008
Today's Houston Chronicle features the following article about the revolving door of severely mentally ill homeless offenders in the Harris County Jail ("Finding escape behind bars," July 21, 2008). Many of these inmates have been arrested on dozens of occasions; many have substance abuse disorders in addition to mental disorders...

Texas Mother to Remain in State Mental Hospital

Posted on July 18, 2008
Below is an update on the case of Deanna Laney, from the Tyler Morning Telegraph ("Woman Who Stoned Children to Death Will Remain in Mental Facility," July 8, 2008). Ms. Laney was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the murder of her children...

New Private Mental Health Defenders Office in Lubbock

Posted on July 15, 2008
KCBD, NewsChannel 11 in Lubbock reports that officials in Lubbock County have received funding for a new program aimed at diverting offenders with mental illness from jail and providing them with quality legal representation ("New Program Addresses Lubbock County Inmate Mental Health," July 10, 2008)...

Government Agencies and Foundations Invest in Mental Healthcare

Posted on July 08, 2008
Here's an update from the Austin American-Statesman on efforts aimed at increasing funding for mental health services in Austin/Travis County ("Spending on mental illness sees a sudden boost," July 5, 2008):"... Across Austin and in other parts of Texas, foundations and government organizations are giving more money to programs that help people with mental illnesses ? an area that advocates say has long been underfunded in Texas...

North Carolina Inmate Found Incompetent for Execution

Posted on July 02, 2008
According to the Associated Press (and reported in the Times-News Online), a Superior Court judge has found Guy LeGrande incompetent for execution ("Judge: NC inmate too ill for execution," July 1, 2008). LeGrande has been on death row in North Carolina since 1996...

The History of Crisis Intervention Teams

Posted on June 30, 2008
The June 2008 issue of Law Enforcement Technology features an interesting article on the history of Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT), pioneered by the Memphis Police Department.Here are a few excerpts:"The program builds a team of officers available to respond to calls that partner with families, mental health providers and individuals who are diagnosed with mental diseases...

Capital Murder Defendant Found Competent After Fourth Hearing

Posted on June 30, 2008
The San Antonio Express-News reports that the case of Vincent Seard, who has been found incompetent to stand trial as a result of his severe mental illness on three prior occasions, is now ready to proceed ("Slayings suspect ruled OK for trial," June 17, 2008)...

Coverage of the Indiana v. Edwards Decision

Posted on June 23, 2008
The New York Times has this coverage of last week's U.S. Supreme Court decision in the case of Indiana v. Edwards ("Self-Representation by the Mentally Ill Is Curbed," June 20, 2008):"A mentally ill defendant who is nonetheless competent to stand trial is not necessarily competent to dispense with a lawyer and represent himself, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday...

U.S. Supreme Court Places Limits on Self-Representation

Posted on June 19, 2008
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in Indiana v. Edwards that defendants with severe mental illness who are found competent to stand trial do not necessarily have the right to represent themselves. The Court heard arguments in the case earlier this spring...

More on Scott Panetti

Posted on June 18, 2008
From the Houston Chronicle ("Austin judge finds inmate sane enough for execution; More appeals are likely in the landmark case," June 17, 2008):For 15 years, Scott Panetti has been Example No. 1 of the problems that result when mental illness crosses paths with the criminal justice system...

Washington Post Editorial on Percy Walton

Posted on June 17, 2008
From June 12, 2008:A Courageous CommutationMr. Kaine spares the life of a man on death row."Timothy M. Kaine (D), a confidant of Barack Obama's and the first governor outside Illinois to endorse the senator's bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, is routinely mentioned as a vice-presidential prospect...

NAMI Poll on Perceptions of Schizophrenia

Posted on June 10, 2008
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) recently commissioned a poll from Harris Interactive regarding public awareness of and attitudes towards schizophrenia.Here are some of the findings, pulled from the NAMI report:Two million Americans are living with schizophrenia (1% of the nation's population age 18 or older)...

Coverage of Walton Commutation

Posted on June 10, 2008
From the Richmond Times-Dispatch ("Triple murderer spared from execution by Kaine," June 10, 2008):"Gov. Timothy M. Kaine commuted Percy Levar Walton's death sentences to life without parole yesterday, sparing the triple murderer execution by injection tonight...

Gov. Kaine Grants Clemency to Percy Walton

Posted on June 10, 2008
After years of wrangling in the courts regarding Percy Levar Walton's competency to be executed, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine has decided to grant clemency to Walton and commute his sentence to life without the possibility of parole.Here is the Governor's statement in full:"I have carefully considered over the past 24 months the question of whether the Commonwealth can carry out the execution of Percy Levar Walton in a constitutionally permissible manner...

Research on Rates of Violence Among Those with Severe Mental Illness

Posted on June 09, 2008
Here's an op-ed that appeared today in the Wall Street Journal by E. Fuller Torrey, the founder of the Treatment Advocacy Center (TAC). TAC is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating barriers to the timely and effective treatment of severe mental illnesses...

Update on Executions

Posted on June 09, 2008
David Mark Hill was executed by the State of South Carolina on June 6, 2008. He had decided to forego any further appeals. According to Amnesty International USA, Hill had a history of mental illness, including several suicide attempts. The execution of Percy Levar Walton in Virginia is still set for tomorrow, June 10...

More on Healthcare for the Homeless-Houston

Posted on June 03, 2008
Here's more information on the pilot program designed by Healthcare for the Homeless-Houston, which aims to provide services to those inmates with severe mental illness immediately upon their release from the Harris County Jail. From KUHF-Houston Public Radio News:Health Care For Former Inmates Saves Harris County Money2 June 2008By: Capella TuckerThe Harris County Jail system is said to have one of the best mental health programs...

TN Death Row Inmate Receives Life Sentence

Posted on June 03, 2008
The ACLU Capital Punishment Project reports that Tennessee death row inmate Richard Taylor has received a life sentence, in exchange for pleading guilty to the crime for which he was sentenced to death in 1981. Taylor has a long, documented history of severe mental illness; according to the ACLU, he has been denied psychiatric treatment at various times during his incarceration and was not receiving his anti-psychotic medication at the time of the crime...

Increasing Number of Defendants Found Incompetent to Stand Trial

Posted on June 03, 2008
USA TODAY reports a rise in the number of accused felons who have been found incompetent to stand trial in 10 out of the 12 most populous U.S. states ("Mentally Incompetent Defendants on the Rise"). Interestingly, Texas reported a decline in this number (the article does not provide any explanation for this apparent decline, however)...

Execution Set for SC Offender with Severe Mental Illness

Posted on June 02, 2008
The State of South Carolina has scheduled the execution of David Hill, an inmate with severe mental illness who has decided to waive his appeals. Approximately 129 out of the 1,102 executions since 1977 have involved inmates who decided to forego any further appeals of their cases...

Mental Health & Criminal Justice in Harris County

Posted on May 29, 2008
In Houston, Local 2 Investigative reporter Robert Arnold spent the past six months researching the mental health care system in Harris County. He filed an informative series of reports that explain some of the system's shortcomings (links to the entire series can be found below)...

The Fredericksburg Standard on Scott Panetti

Posted on May 29, 2008
The following article appeared yesterday in the Fredericksburg Standard ("U.S. District Court Judge Rules Panetti Competent," May 28, 2008). Nearly one year after a reprieve was ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court for Fredericksburg convicted killer Scott Panetti, 50, the U...

Non-Lawyer Rate for ABA CLE Program

Posted on May 21, 2008
The ABA has announced a special rate of $25 for non-lawyers, including law students, to participate in its CLE teleconference on "Mental Illness and the Death Penalty: New Hope for Those Threatened with Execution." Register now by going to http://www...

Harris County Jury Rejects Death Penalty for Quintero

Posted on May 21, 2008
The Harris County jury that rejected Juan Quintero's insanity defense and found him guilty of capital murder in the death of Officer Rodney Johnson has sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Some jurors cited the mitigating evidence presented by Quintero's defense attorneys in explaining their decision to spare his life...

NAMI Joins with Murder Victims' Family Members in Groundbreaking New Project; Request for Assistance

Posted on May 20, 2008
Murder Victims? Families for Human Rights (MVFHR) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) have come together to draw attention to the intersection between the death penalty and mental illness from the victims? perspective. MVFHR is an international organization composed of relatives of homicide victims and relatives of people who have been executed, all of whom oppose the death penalty in all cases...

TX Legislative Committees to Hold Hearing

Posted on May 16, 2008
A joint committee hearing involving the House Corrections Committee's subcommittee on Substance Abuse and Mental Illness and the House Committee on Appropriations subcommittee on Criminal Justice will take place on Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 10:00 AM in E1...

Mother with Mental Illness Pleads Guilty

Posted on May 15, 2008
According to the Tyler Morning Telegraph, Catherine Alana Stevens, a woman with a long history of mental illness, has plead guilty to murdering her 2-year-old son, William. ("Stevens Found Guilty Of Son?s Murder," May 10, 2008) Charged with capital murder, Stevens faced the death penalty at one point...

TX Dept. of State Health Services Awards $25 Million in Grants

Posted on May 15, 2008
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has awarded $25 million in new funding to 17 local mental health centers for community-based crisis mental health services.A total of $21.4 million has been granted to 14 local mental health centers to establish or enhance psychiatric emergency service centers or other facilities that will divert mentally ill patients from hospitals or jails by treating them efficiently in more appropriate settings...

Pilot Crisis Intervention Project in Houston

Posted on May 14, 2008
According to the Houston Chronicle, ("Mental health experts, HPD team up to help patients," May 13, 2008), the Houston Police Department has developed a new pilot program aimed at defusing crisis situations involving people with mental illness.Here's the article:"Mental health professionals are riding alongside Houston police in a six-month pilot program designed to help defuse crisis situations involving unstable people, officials said...

Upcoming Event in New York

Posted on May 14, 2008
Here's a great opportunity for folks in New York City to learn more about the issues surrounding mental illness and the death penalty and to hear from an outstanding panel of experts:"Mental Illness & the Death Penalty"Sponsored by the New York City Bar Association42 West 44th Street, New York, NYThursday, May 29, 2008, 6:30 P...

Educational Opportunity for Lawyers

Posted on May 14, 2008
ABA Center for Continuing Legal Education presents...Mental Illness and the Death Penalty: New Hope for Those Threatened with Execution A 90-Minute Teleconference and Live Audio WebcastTuesday, June 3, 20081-2:30 PM EDT (Noon-1:30 PM CDT11 AM-12:30 PM MDT 10-11:30 AM PDT)The American Bar Association has adopted ground-breaking policies that it believes should apply to the consideration of mental illness in the context of the death penalty...

NAMI Advocate Speaks about the Death Penalty

Posted on May 14, 2008
The Equal Justice Edition, a newsletter from Equal Justice USA, features the following quote from Kathleen Bayes, whose husband struggled with mental illness. Bayes is the Executive Director of NAMI Fort Wayne, in Indiana. "The death penalty is often given in cases of particularly violent or baseless crimes...

Execution Date Set for Percy Walton

Posted on May 12, 2008
The Commonwealth of Virginia has set an execution date of June 10, 2008 for Percy Levar Walton, a severely mentally ill man who believes that he will come back to life after the execution and whose intellectual functioning appears to be significantly impaired...

Quintero Found Guilty

Posted on May 09, 2008
A Harris County jury has found Juan Leonardo Quintero guilty of capital murder in the death of Houston Police Officer Rodney Johnson ("Quintero convicted of capital murder in death of HPD officer," May 8, 2008). The case now moves to the sentencing phase, where jurors will decided whether to sentence Quintero to life in prison without the possibility of parole or to give him the death penalty...

Defense Argues Quintero Is Insane

Posted on May 07, 2008
Here's an update from the Houston Chronicle on the capital murder trial of Juan Quintero ("Experts clash over Quintero's sanity," May 6, 2008): "Attorneys locked horns Tuesday in a battle of experts in the death penalty trial of Juan Leonardo Quintero, arguing whether the 34-year-old was insane when he shot Houston police officer Rodney Johnson in 2006...

New Grant for Texas Task Force on Indigent Defense

Posted on May 05, 2008
The State Justice Institute has awarded the Texas Task Force on Indigent Defense $90,000 to analyze how three Texas counties -- Dallas, Tarrant, and Travis -- serve defendants with mental illness, in order to determine whether a statewide process should be implemented...

NAMIWalks for the Mind of America

Posted on May 05, 2008
This past Saturday, May 3, 2008, more than 20 members of the Houston chapter of the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty participated in the Houston NAMIWalks for the Mind of America, an annual awareness-raising program of the National Alliance on Mental Illness...

Another Mother Found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity

Posted on May 02, 2008
According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Valeria Maxon, who has been diagnosed with "bipolar disorder, most recent episode depressed with psychotic features," was found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI) in the drowning death of her son Alex ("Mansfield mom ruled insane in boy's death," May 2, 2008)...

Mental Health Month

Posted on May 02, 2008
May is Mental Health Month. According to Mental Health America (MHA), Mental Health Month was created more than 50 years ago to raise awareness about mental health conditions and the importance of mental wellness. This year?s theme focuses on an essential component of maintaining and protecting mental health and wellness: social connectedness...

Update on Juan Quintero Case

Posted on April 30, 2008
The death penalty trial of Juan Leonardo Quintero began in Harris County on Monday, April 28, 2008. According to the Houston Chronicle ("DA rejects plea for illegal immigrant who shot officer," April 27, 2008), Quintero had offered to plead guilty in exchange for a sentence of life without the possible of parole for the 2006 shooting of Houston police officer Rodney Johnson...

New Model for Legal Representation Under Consideration in West Texas

Posted on April 30, 2008
The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reports that more advances in legal representation are in the works for West Texas ("Lubbock County commissioners seek grant for mental health defense system", April 26, 2008). Last year, state and local leaders created the West Texas Regional Public Defender for Capital Murder Cases, the only office of its kind in Texas...

Harris County Jail Maxed Out

Posted on April 04, 2008
The Houston Chronicle reports that the Harris County Jail now holds 1,000 people beyond its capacity ("Harris County Jail filled beyond capacity," April 1, 2008). People with mental illness account for a large percentage of those currently incarcerated, as do the chronically homeless...

More on Panetti Ruling

Posted on April 03, 2008
In his order denying Scott Panetti's Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus, Judge Sparks further ordered that Panetti's execution shall be stayed pending the outcome of the appeal in this case.Here's more on the ruling from The Austin Chronicle ("Panetti Sane Enough to Die," April 4, 2008):"Texas death row inmate Scott Panetti is 'seriously mentally ill' and has been for some time ? in fact, as U...

Mental Health Courts

Posted on April 01, 2008
Last week (March 26, 2008), National Public Radio's "News & Notes" featured commentary on mental health courts from Judge Lynn Toler. Listen to the segment: "Mental Health: How Do Courts Deal with Mental Health Issues."

Scott Panetti Deemed Competent to Be Executed

Posted on March 28, 2008
AFP reports that Judge Sam Sparks once again has found Scott Panetti competent to be executed ("Schizophrenic death row man in Texas on path to execution," March 27, 2008). The judge ruled that Panetti possessed sufficient rational understanding of the reason for his execution...

Coverage of Arguments in Indiana v. Edwards

Posted on March 27, 2008
Oral arguments in the U.S. Supreme Court case of Indiana v. Edwards took place yesterday, March 27, 2008. According to scotusblog, "The core issue in Indiana v. Edwards (07-208) is whether states are constitutionally free to require that accused individuals have a higher level of mental capacity to represent themselves than is required for them simply to be put on trial with a lawyer at their side...

Op-Ed on the Issue of Self Representation

Posted on March 26, 2008
Jonathan Turley, a professor of law at George Washington University, comments on the Ahmad Edwards case (Indiana v. Edwards) in an op-ed that appeared today in the Los Angeles Times ("A fool and his lawyer," March 26, 2008). He too cites the case of Scott Panetti to illustrate the tremendous harm that can result when defendants' with severe mental illness are allowed to represent themselves...

More on Self Representation

Posted on March 26, 2008
Here's more on the case of Ahmad Edwards, from the National Law Journal (March 17, 2008, "Right to counsel probed by justices"). The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments on the case today."Ahmad Edwards was arrested in July 1999 when, after resisting apprehension by a security guard for shoplifting shoes, he drew and fired a gun, injuring an onlooker...

Should Inmates with Severe Mental Illness Be Allowed to Represent Themselves?

Posted on March 25, 2008
Tomorrow, March 26, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider the case of Ahmad Edwards, a man with a history of mental illness who was found competent to stand trial but was not allowed to represent himself as he requested. Numerous death penalty cases have involved issues related to competency to stand trial; the Scott Panetti case in particular (cited in the article below) raises the issue of self representation by those with long histories of mental illness...

"The Prison Show"

Posted on March 19, 2008
Last week while in Houston, I had the privilege of appearing on Ray Hill's "The Prison Show", which has been broadcast on Houston Pacifica radio station KPFT 90.1 FM weekly since March 1980. Here's a description of the program:"During the first hour of the program, Ray and the gang, and occasionally a special guest, discuss related current issues and review the week's mailbag...

Updates on Federal Legislation re Mental Illness

Posted on March 17, 2008
From the Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consensus Project:"On March 6, 2008, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee passed S. 2304, the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act (MIOTCRA). The legislation, introduced last year by Sens...

Psychological Evaluation Ordered for John Rubio

Posted on March 17, 2008
Here's an update on the case of John Rubio, from the Houston Chronicle ("Mental tests for man accused in slayings," March 14, 2008):"A man accused of killing and beheading his common-law wife's three children should undergo a psychological evaluation but not tests to determine if he's mentally retarded, a judge has ordered...

TN Death Row Inmate Receives New Trial

Posted on March 17, 2008
On March 7, 2008, the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals reversed the conviction and death sentence of Richard Taylor. The court's ruling grants Taylor a new trial due to a variety of constitutional errors at his original trial. These errors include the denial of his constitutional right to counsel at a pre-trial competency hearing, the failure of the trial court to hold a competency hearing during the trial, and the failure of the trial court to appoint advisory counsel...

Upcoming Presentations in Houston

Posted on March 11, 2008
This Thursday, March 13, 2008, at 6:00 PM, I will speak on the topic of ?Prevention, Not Punishment: Prohibiting the Death Penalty for Offenders with Severe Mental Illness? at the Montrose Library, 4100 Montrose, Houston, Texas. Contact Nancy Bailey at 281-933-4925 for more information...

Collaborative Grants Available

Posted on March 10, 2008
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), U.S. Department of Justice, has released its solicitation for fiscal year 2008 applications for Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program grants. The program was authorized by the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2004 (MIOTCRA) and promotes coordination among criminal justice, juvenile justice, mental health, and substance abuse agencies...

Likely Insanity Defense in Upcoming Death Penalty Trial

Posted on March 07, 2008
According to the Houston Chronicle ("Insanity plea likely in officer's shooting death," March 6, 2008), Juan Quintero, the man facing a capital murder charge in the 2006 shooting death of Houston police officer Rodney Johnson, might plead not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI)...

Experts Study Neuroscience Use in Courts

Posted on March 03, 2008
That's the title of an article from the Associated Press, which appeared March 2, 2008 in The Washington Post:"When Peter Braunstein was put on trial last year for a twisted Halloween torture attack, his lawyers used a visual aid to suggest that his actions were the product of mental illness...

New Sentencing Hearing for Charles Mines

Posted on February 28, 2008
The Houston Chronicle/Associated Press reports that Charles Mines, who has been on death row since 1989, has received a new sentencing hearing ("Longtime Texas death row inmate wins new sentencing trial," February 27, 2008):"A death row inmate who killed an 80-year-old woman with a claw hammer nearly two decades ago will get a new sentencing trial because jurors didn't properly consider mental illness when they decided he should be executed, an appeals court has ruled...

Stop Criminalizing the Mentally Ill

Posted on February 28, 2008
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...

"Mentally ill unfairly portrayed as violent"

Posted on February 26, 2008
That's the title of an editorial that appeared yesterday in The Boston Globe, by Dr. Ronald Pies, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Tufts University. Dr. Pies cites several studies that illustrate the link (or lack thereof) between mental illness and violent behavior...

The Role of Medications (or Lack Thereof) in Recent Acts of Violence?

Posted on February 21, 2008
An editorial that appeared earlier this week in the Dallas Morning-News ("Guns aren't only thing to blame in tragedies," February 18, 2008) sheds some light on why those suffering from mental illness might choose to stop taking their medications:"With clockwork predictability, we zeroed in on the source of the weapons used by the gunman in last week's appalling slaughter in an Illinois campus classroom...

Evidence of Severe Mental Illness Often Not Enough to Prove "Insanity"

Posted on February 21, 2008
Here's another article from the New York Times regarding the case of David Tarloff, a man with severe mental illness who is charged with second-degree murder in the slashing death of Kathryn Faughey, an Upper East Side therapist ("Actions Considered Insane Often Don?t Meet the Standards of New York?s Legal System," February 20, 2008)...

New Questions Surround Involuntary Commitment Laws in New York

Posted on February 21, 2008
"The arrest of David M. Tarloff, a man with a long history of mental illness, in the fatal stabbing of a psychologist in Manhattan has revived discussion on the thorny issue of how people with severe mental illnesses can be helped, even when they resist that assistance," according to the New York Times ("Murder Case Focuses New Attention on Mental Illness Treatment," February 19, 2008)...

New Mental Health Public Defenders in Bexar County

Posted on February 18, 2008
Thanks to Sandrine Ageorges for passing this along, from the San Antonio Express-News ("County hires 4 new public defenders," February 15, 2008):"Bexar County officials have hired four mental health public defenders. Officials said Anne Mulligan and Kevin McManus will be civil public defenders, representing people at hearings that determine whether they should be committed to the state mental hospital...

More on Panetti Competency Hearing

Posted on February 14, 2008
Here are excerpts from an article by Jordan Smith that appeared in the Austin Chronicle ("Legal Battle Over When Prisoner Is Sane Enough for Execution Bounces Back Here," February 15, 2008), regarding last week's hearing on Scott Panetti's competency to be executed:"The long, sad case of Texas death row inmate Scott Panetti landed back in federal district court last week, where Judge Sam Sparks is tasked with deciding whether Panetti is indeed sane enough to be executed...

Addressing Texas' Overpopulated Prisons

Posted on February 12, 2008
Last week at a statewide symposium organized by the Bexar County Commissioner, policymakers and criminal justice experts discussed ideas for addressing Texas' overpopulated prisons (Texas has the second largest-prison population in the country). Several panelists expressed concern about the increased criminalization of non-violent offenders with mental illness, which has resulted in severe overcrowding at local jails...

Competency Hearing for Scott Panetti

Posted on February 11, 2008
Last week Federal District Judge Sam Sparks presided over a hearing to determine whether Scott Panetti is competent to be executed. In June 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked Panetti's execution, ruling that the Fifth Circuit Court of Criminal Appeals had used "an improperly restrictive test" in determining Panetti's competency...

Mental Illness and Violence

Posted on February 07, 2008
The February 2008 issue of Psychiatric Services focuses on mental illness and violence. It includes such articles as "Perpetration of Violence, Violent Victimization, and Severe Mental Illness: Balancing Public Health Concerns," "Jail Incarceration, Homelessness, and Mental Health: A National Study," and "Risk of Violence by Psychiatric Patients: Beyond the "Actuarial Versus Clinical" Assessment Debate...

Independent Investigation of Death Row Inmate's Suicide

Posted on February 07, 2008
Fort Bend Now reports that the Office of the Inspector General will be conducting an investigation into the suicide of mentally ill death row inmate William Robinson ("Office Of Inspector General To Review Prison Suicide," February 7, 2008). Robinson, 49, was found hanging by a bed sheet on February 1, 2008 in the Jester IV Unit, a mental health unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice...

A Holistic Approach to Offenders with Mental Illness

Posted on February 06, 2008
Here's an op-ed from Judge Nancy Hohengarten that appeared in the Austin American-Statesman ("A way to ensure justice for all", February 5, 2008):"Traditionally, family members of criminal defendants do not discuss cases with the prosecution, but when the defendant is mentally ill, family input is appropriate...

Another Suicide on Texas' Death Row

Posted on February 05, 2008
Allan Turner at the Houston Chronicle reports that another death row inmate in Texas has committed suicide ("Mentally ill killer found hanging in cell," Feb. 4, 2008). William Robinson, who was under psychiatric care for an unspecificied mental illness, had been on death row since 1985...

Caring for Mentally Ill in Jails, Emergency Rooms

Posted on February 04, 2008
The Austin-American Statesman (February 3, 2008) reports that since November, at least 125 depressed, suicidal, or violent people have been sent to emergency rooms in Austin, rather than the state hospital:"Previously, most of those people would have gone to the state hospital, said Dr...

Florida Inmate's Death Sentence Reduced to Life

Posted on February 01, 2008
According to the Pensacola News Journal (January 31, 2008), the Florida Supreme Court has reduced the death sentence of Ryan Thomas Green, who was convicted and sentenced to death in January 2006 for the death of 59-year-old James Hallman, a retired Pensacola police sergeant:"[The] Court overruled the trial judge's sentence because Green suffered from schizophrenia and was unable to fully appreciate the consequences of his actions, according to the opinion released Thursday...

Interim Senate Committe Charges to the 80th Legislature

Posted on January 30, 2008
One of the items included among Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst's interim charges to the Senate Criminal Justice Committee of the 80th Legislature relates to mental health: "Study the relationship between the public mental health system and the criminal justice and civil courts systems, including the identification and sharing of information regarding mentally ill offenders, including minors, among criminal justice and mental health agencies, the courts, state hospitals, and the Veterans Administration...

Texas Chief Justice Task Force Sets Goals for 2008

Posted on January 24, 2008
Here's another item that appeared in the January 2008 newsletter of the Consensus Project:"The Texas Chief Justice Task Force, led by the Honorable Sharon Keller, Presiding Judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, has set forth a series of goals for 2008 that will build on successes in the past year and improve outcomes for people with mental illnesses involved with the criminal justice system...

U.S. House Passes Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act

Posted on January 24, 2008
Yesterday, January 23, 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act (MIOTCRRIA), H.R. 3992.Here's a statement from leaders of the Council of State Governments Justice Center, which appears in the January 2008 newsletter of the Consensus Project...

Where Do the Presidential Candidates Stand on Mental Health Issues?

Posted on January 22, 2008
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has released the responses it has received thus far from the presidential candidates to its questionnaire on a variety of mental health issues. The survey includes several questions related to jail diversion programs for non-violent offenders with mental illness...

Criminal Justice and Mental Illness in Travis County

Posted on January 16, 2008
KUT, the public radio station in Austin, recently aired a story about efforts to stem the criminalization of people with mental illness in Travis County. The bottom line? More money is needed for programs that provide treatment for those with mental illness and help keep them out of jail...

Increased Incidents of Violence Among Returning War Veterans

Posted on January 14, 2008
Commondreams.org has posted an article that appeared today (January 14, 2008) in The Independent/UK regarding the increase in violent crimes committed by those returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.Here are some excerpts from "Traumatised Veterans ?Have Killed 120 in US?", by Stephen Foley:"While public anger is directed at the Pentagon for sending American soldiers ill-prepared to fight in Iraq, an equally troubling problem is rearing its head at home...

New date set for Coble punishment trial

Posted on January 10, 2008
According to the Waco Tribune-Herald (January 10, 2008), Judge Matt Johnson of Waco?s 54th State District Court has set August 4 as the date to begin jury selection for a new sentencing hearing for Billie Wayne Coble. Coble's death sentence was overturned last year by the 5th U...

Jail Diversion Program in Dallas County

Posted on January 07, 2008
Here's an article that appeared last month in the Dallas Morning News (December 19, 2007), which focuses on Dallas County's jail diversion program for offenders with mental illness:http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/localnews/columnists/jfloyd/stories/DN-floyd_19met...

Mental Health-Related Actions of the 80th Texas Legislature

Posted on January 07, 2008
The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health recently released its "Legislative Update: A Guide to the Mental Health-Related Actions of the 80th Texas Legislature." This summary of mental health-related actions by the 80th Texas Legislature is now available online: http://www...

Austin Police Department Assist Those with Mental Illness

Posted on December 31, 2007
From the Austin American-Statesman, December 29, 2007:Protecting and serving the mentally ill: Austin police crisis officers strain to fill gaps in mental health care in the face of budget cuts, growing caseloadBy Joshunda SandersWillie, 71, was muttering to himself underneath a dying palm tree in his Clarksville front yard when Austin police officers Donnie Williamson and Kim Devitt showed up...

Mental Health Court in El Paso

Posted on December 11, 2007
From the El Paso Times, December 10, 2007:"A new mental health court intervention and treatment program was created today by a unanimous vote by Commissioners Court.The new court will address mental health issues among adult criminal offenders, including counseling services, treatment, supervision and mental health assessments...

An Innovative Approach to Prevention

Posted on December 10, 2007
Residents of Frederick County, Maryland soon will have access to first aid for mental health concerns, according to an interesting article that appeared December 8 in the Frederick News Post.Maryland's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is piloting the program, which offers a 12-hour training course to community volunteers...

A Dangerous Wait for Treatment

Posted on December 10, 2007
Here are some excerpts from an article that appeared on December 9, 2007 in the Austin-American Statesman, "After policy change, ERs seeing more mentally ill patients":"It's been one month since Austin's mental health authority slashed the number of patients it sends to the Austin State Hospital...

Court to Rule on Acting As Own Lawyer

Posted on December 10, 2007
From the Austin-American Statesman, December 7, 2007:"The Supreme Court said Friday it will review whether a defendant who is judged competent to stand trial has the right to be his own lawyer, even if he has a history of serious mental illness.Ahmad Edwards was convicted of attempted murder and other charges in 2005 following a shooting at an Indianapolis department store in 1999...

The Challenges of Involuntary Commitment

Posted on November 29, 2007
The Washington Post (November 28, 2007) features an informative article about the challenges related to involuntary commitment procedures for people with mental illness. Most states require those exhibiting symptoms of mental illness to pose an "imminent threat" to themselves or others before they are committed to a mental health facility against their will...

Sugar Land man found not guilty of by reason of insanity

Posted on November 29, 2007
According to the Houston Chronicle (November 29, 2007), Tristan Williams, a 20-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing his mother, was found not guilty by reason of insanity by a Fort Bend County court. Williams, who was 17 at the time of the slaying, will be sent to a maximum security mental health facility for treatment, according to court documents...

League of Women Voters of Texas Oppose Death Penalty for the Mentally Ill

Posted on November 13, 2007
The League of Women Voters of Texas' position on the death penalty includes a call to prohibit the execution of the mentally ill. The League's Fall 2007 newsletter, "Texas Voter," features a comprehensive article about mental illness and the death penalty and encourages League members to obtain a copy of a new Mental Illness and the Death Penalty Organizing Packet and postcards...

House Committee Passes MIOTCRA

Posted on November 13, 2007
Here's an update from the Consensus Project on the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act (MIOTCRA):"On November 7, 2007, just a week after the introduction of the bill, members of the full House Judiciary Committee passed H...

"60 Minutes" Segment on Mentally Ill Inmate in Tennessee

Posted on November 12, 2007
Last night, the CBS News program "60 Minutes" featured an interview with Gregory Thompson, a severely mentally ill man who has been on death row in Tennessee for more than 20 years. His lawyers did not raise evidence of his mental illness during his trial...

Congress Introduces the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act

Posted on November 02, 2007
From the Consensus Project Newsletter, November 2007:"This week U.S. Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Pete Domenici (R-NM), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Arlen Specter (R-PA), and U.S. Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Randy Forbes (R-VA) introduced the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act...

New resources addressing stigma and discrimination

Posted on November 01, 2007
The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration Center for Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) has redesigned its Resource Center to Address Discrimination and Stigma Associated with Mental Illness. The new library contains more than 600 resources...

New mental health program in Harris County jail

Posted on November 01, 2007
KHOU.com reports on a new program in the Harris County jail that will address the needs of inmates with mental illness. "On any given day there are 9,000 inmates there. About 20 percent of them have a history of mental illness. The jail has now formed a new mental health unit make up of 61 specially trained officers...

ABA Article on Mental Disability and Capital Punishment

Posted on October 24, 2007
The Spring 2007 issue of Human Rights Magazine, a quarterly publication of the American Bar Association's Section on Individual Rights and Responsibilities, now is available online. This issue focuses on various aspects of the death penalty and includes an article by Ron Tabak entitled "Mental Disability and Capital Punishment: A More Rational Approach to a Disturbing Subject...

Advancing Mental Health through Consumer Involvement

Posted on October 19, 2007
Next Thursday, October 25th, the Texas Health Institute will host a forum entitled "Advancing Mental Health through Consumer Involvement." The forum will examine the current state of consumer involvement in Texas and the United States. Speakers include: Stephany Bryan, Technical Assistance Coordinator, Federation of FamiliesMaria Felix-Ortiz, Ph...

The history of HPD crisis team and why city needs it

Posted on October 17, 2007
That's the title of an op-ed that appeared this past Sunday in the Houston Chronicle by Betsy Schwartz and Steven Schnee. Schwartz is the president and CEO of the Mental Health Association of Greater Houston. Schnee is executive director of the Mental Health and Mental Retardation Authority of Harris County...