“Some 28% of those with both schizophrenia and substance abuse were convicted of violent crime, compared to 8% of those with schizophrenia and no substance abuse, and 5% of the general population.”
http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?id=15563
My reason, though, for desiring the kind institutionalization (NOT the punitive imprisonment) of severely crazy people is not simply to prevent crime.
It is a kindness to them. They are dependent and helpless.
Just as I “forcibly” detain and shelter and care for my kids, or we “forcibly” detain and shelter and care for the senile and demented, and the severely mentally impaired -
we need to do so for the crazy. They are just as needy of sane adult supervision.
Which means that 72% of those with "schizophrenia" and "substance abuse" haven't been convicted of violent crime. So even there preventive imprisonment of that group would have a high "collateral damage" rate.
My reason, though, for desiring the kind institutionalization (NOT the punitive imprisonment) of severely crazy people is not simply to prevent crime.
Imprisonment is still imprisonment in crucial aspects. It depends on the threat of violence, most notably, as opposed to offering to shelter and feed various "needy" people. In this it differs not from any number of government programs, all designed to help us "for our own good".
It is a kindness to them. They are dependent and helpless.
Their consent would then follow, as it does in homeless shelters and soup kitchens.
Just as I “forcibly” detain and shelter and care for my kids, or we “forcibly” detain and shelter and care for the senile and demented, and the severely mentally impaired - we need to do so for the crazy. They are just as needy of sane adult supervision.
There are many classes and degrees of "mental illness" and "helplessness" and "dependency" that our caring government would kindly provide for in various ways, if only we'd let them. They would of course be tailored to meed the needs and different levels of skills that we have. A lot of this should begin at the earliest ages, which is why it so important to increase funding for mental health professionals in government schools, and so on. Ahem.