THIS. Our treatment (or rather lack thereof) of the mentally ill in this country is a scandal and a shame. Even uber-lefty NPR has been running a series about this for years. Fixing our mental health care system is something most voting Republicans and Democrats could agree on.
Even if one takes a heartless view and only looks at costs to the taxpayer, the way it is now is costing taxpayers huge sums in court costs, frequent required-by-law expensive mental health evaluations for the many who cycle in and out of the justice system and our prisons and jails (between 1/3 and 1/2 of inmates have a serious mental illness which these institutions are not equipped to handle), other costs associated with homelessness (at least 25% of the homeless have a severe mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder) and crime (mentally ill are easy prey for criminals and ten times more likely to be a crime victim — while others keep getting into trouble with the law by acting out, being disruptive, stealing food, etc.), fines and lawsuits against states, emergency room costs, it goes on and on. All this costs at least as much as a functioning mental health system would, if only we would create one. Even if a functioning system cost a bit more, it would be worth it.
Meanwhile, the mentally ill and their families are left to try to cope with it all alone with no treatment or help to be had. The waiting lists for treatment are hundreds deep and many months long. The justice system is overwhelmed.
No, I am not an NPR listener, but sometimes do listen in the car to see what they are saying. I happened to catch this very well done segment back in 2011:
https://www.npr.org/2011/09/04/140167676/nations-jails-struggle-with-mentally-ill-prisoners
It’s only got worse:
https://www.npr.org/2020/02/25/805469776/americas-mental-health-crisis-hidden-behind-bars
This lady wrote a book about the problem and describes how impossible it is to find treatment:
Most mentally ill people are arrested for “crimes of survival”, stealing food or breaking in to find a place to sleep, cycling in and out of courtrooms and jails at great cost to taxpayers and their own already-broken mental health:
I am grateful beyond measure I have not had to personally deal with this for myself or for any family member. My heart goes out to those who are living this nightmare.
Our politiciabs and talking heads on TV never raise this issue, perhaps because it is *not* so divisive. Instead they rail about hot button issues like gun control and racism and “hate crimes” and whatever will divide and rile people up.
It sure would be nice if we started asking candidates what they plan to do about our very broken mental health system and the resultant overburdened courts, overwhelmed correctional facilities and sidewalks covered with mentally-ill homeless. And maybe the system/families would be better able to track and get treatment for the few who pose a real danger to society *before* they completely lose it and start shooting.
I have been through it all with my son, as have two of my friends with their children. It is heartbreaking.