“So, is removal from society the most effective way to prevent these types of events? Should we reopen the 800,000 psych ward beds that were closed in the late 1970’s?”
Yes, removing these individuals from society is the only action that will prevent (some) of these attacks. A majority of those beds are still in use; the inmates now reside in prisons and jails all over the country. It is less humane to subject the crazies and the prison guards to a penal system that is not designed to systematically address mental health problems.
The number of violent psychopaths is small. We need to have a means of commitment that addresses those who are psychopaths before they act out. Having worked with hundreds of children and young adults, I have only encountered two such individuals. Everyone who was associated with them admitted they were very likely to commit murder or other violent crimes, yet they plod along the system abusing others for years before they were finally convicted of a crime. That’s if they get caught. Some are still preying upon society today and many won’t even be flagged as dangerous because they are minors.
As for the manifest dangers of institutions, those need to be addressed rationally, not because of some movie or any other emotion. These people are a danger to themselves and others, and they aren’t easily fixed. Most will never approach normalcy and that’s just reality. Pretending otherwise is what’s gotten us to this place.
I’m open to suggestions, just adding my opinion based on significantly more experience than most. If you haven’t spent time in jails, prisons, psych wards, and courts, count yourself blessed, but don’t assume standard operating procedures are applicable to abnormal psychology. There is no silver bullet; no easy, painless, or safe way to address it.
Thanks for your reply, and for engaging in that field. Mirrors my opinion. Never an easy subject or solution. I suspected jail/prison eventually became the ill-equipped wards for many of them.
Mental illness handling is long overdue for a real, honest, objective discussion and fix.