Hey....
I am looking for any information, links, cases, etc. dealing with DOC having to provide mental health services and inmate rights surrounding this issue.
JD had a recent "episode"... he has a long history of problems with depression... when he is really down he downright snaps out and loses touch with reality pretty much....
I don't feel as if it is right for DOC to punish him for some pretty minor actions he did during this episode.... As far as I am concerned, they can't have it both ways... either he is mentally ill OR NOT... but they seem to have determined that he was having a genuine psychiatric issue as they had him locked up in the psychiatric floor of the hospital (no writing letters, no visitation) they were giving him medications and as long as he was on that floor they had 4 point restraints at their disposal to use on him.
I am fighting to have them review his "tickets"....
Any info is GREATLY APPRECIATED!!
Thanks!!

jd - I know that you are in Illinois, but is your husband in the same state? If he is, you can contact a lady by the name of Melissa who is the Illinois Chapter President of the Jeff Dicks Medical Coalition. She also has many many resources at her disposal and probably could help you find information that could help him. her email is justiceseaker@yahoo.com

If you need any other information, just ask.

Tracy

SHAWNA-YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO CONTACT THE national alliance for the mentally ill
http://www.nami.org/

A MENTAL ILLNESS DIAGNOSOSI IS OFTEN A CONVENIENT LABEL PUT ON SOMEONE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO MANIPULATE THEIR TREATMENT-AFTER ALL A DIAGNOSIS IS MADE BY SUBJECTIVELY LOOKING AT A LIST OF CRITERIA IN THE DSM-IV AND DETERMINING IF IT"FITS"--FOR HIM TO BE PUT IN A PSYCHIATRIC FACILITY HE WOULD (OR SHOULD) HAVE BEEN DETERMINED TO BE A SAFETY THREAT TO HIMSELF OR OTHERS-IN OTHER WORDS SUICIDAL, HOMICIDAL OR PSYCHOTIC--THERE ARE VERY STRICT RULES ABOUT THE USE OF RESTRAINTS IN THE FREE COMMUNITY- BOTH PHYSICAL-AND CHEMICAL -AM NOT SURE WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE WITHIN PRISON WALLS BUT I SURE WANT TO FIND OUT!!

Tracy...
yes he is in IL also... thanks for the Email address... actually, I signed up for a yahoo group for the family/friends of IL inmates... (I don't post there much but view the posts via Email) and Melissa is active on that group....
Thanks for the tip!! I will basically drop her a line...
And Sherri... that is another good idea that I hadn't thought of...
The "mental health" services within the walls are downright pitiful from what I have seen... JD does have some legitimate issues, but they have not really accurately diagnosed him... after years and years of complaining he managed to get put on a medication that actually did him some good (his primary diagnosis would be PTSD... and Paxil has been of some help...) But now of course they took him abruptly off all his meds (they also had him on Depakote)... There are times when he is a danger of himself, but they have been VERY bad at assessing that... the really sad thing is that I know him and it really wouldn't be that hard to assess with him... when he is having problems, he can't hide it very well... they just don't take the time to really assess inmates appropriately.... It's sad and pitiful... unfortunately, the prison system is a horrible place to work for anyone who sees inmates as humans, so from what I have seen some of the worst of the worst of mental health professionals end up working in the prisons (although I will acknowledge there are some good ones... I know they aren't ALL bad or grossly incompetant... just mostly... )
Thank you both so much for helping me brainstorm on resources... I am struggling right now and feel so helpless and guilty and powerless... It helps if I can keep DOING SOMETHING....