Rise of the Chemical Prison

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NEWS: Your Mind & Freedom - 22 Oct. 2003

Rise of the Chemical Prison.

MindFreedom OPPOSES Human Rights Watch Recommendation Today on Prisoners

Diagnosed With Psychiatric Disabilities.

Today, the prestigious human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW)

released a major report about USA prisons and people diagnosed with psychiatric

disabilities. The report includes several recommendations to the US Congress.

MindFreedom Support Coalition International opposes the top priority

recommendation of HRW: To fund more " mental health courts " as a " diversion "

program for people accused of crimes who are experiencing severe mental and

emotional programs.

Said David Oaks, Director of MindFreedom: " HRW has done great in ringing an

alarm bell. But mental health courts have an overwhelming emphasis on coerced

psychiatric drugging. We are pro choice on psychiatric drugs. Many of our

members choose to take psychiatric drugs voluntarily. But HRW's approach

unfortunately amounts to moving from a steel prison to a chemical prison. "

In an Associated Press article today, Jamie Fellner, co-author of the report and

director of HRW's U.S. program, said:

" Most people with a serious mental illness need structured days, they need

therapy, they need far more than just medication. They cannot simply sit idle

with their demons in a cell; it makes them worse.''

The HRW report itself also included concerns about problems associated with

psychiatric drugs inside prison, including death.

Said Oaks: " HRW has told the media that 'medication' is not enough. But mental

health courts that already exist are often being used as enforcers to make

people take powerful, dangerous psychiatric drugs. "

HRW's report also calls for better " medication compliance " techniques inside

prisons. The HRW report mainly calls for alternatives to supplement, but not to

replace, psychiatric drugs.

MindFreedom's position is that *all* people in jail and prison have a right to a

full range of voluntary humane alternatives, including job training, counseling,

peer support, nutritional programs and more.

Because some of the main psychiatric drugs used for people diagnosed with

" serious mental illness " are neuroleptics that can cause structural brain

damage, MindFreedom's position is that all forced psychiatric drugging

inherently amounts to " cruel and unusual punishment, " that is also a violation

of the right to free speech and free thought.

" Historically, the psychiatric survivors movement is part of the prison justice

movement, " said Oaks. " We are calling for massive change throughout the prison

system. Unfortunately, HRW report will be used by organizations funded by the

drug industry to lobby for drugging a captive audience at taxpayer expense. "

HRW's first recommendation is an endorsement of a bill in US Congress called

" Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act " introduced by

Congressman Ted Strickland and Senator Mike DeWine. The bill would, among other

things, help fund more " mental health courts " which segregate people accused

with crimes into a special court, and often order " medication compliance " as

part of the sentence.

ACTION:

MindFreedom is calling for civil e-mails to HRW.

You may e-mail to these key HRW leaders & chapters:

FELLNEJ, hrwbe, hrwdc, hrwla, hrwnyc,

hrwsf, hrwuk, spiegem, hrwgva,

hrwatcheu

Sample message: " Please set up emergency meetings with organizations

representing the voices of mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors.

Thank you for speaking out on prison justice. But please do not just replace

iron prisons with chemical prisons! Support deeper change in the prison system! "

For more information on the HRW report:

http://www.hrw.org/press/2003/10/us102203.htm

For HRW's recommendations, starting with mental health courts:

http://www.hrw.org/reports/2003/usa1003/2.htm#_Toc51489441

MindFreedom co-sponsors an independent free public e-mail list forum on the

intersection between the prison justice movement and the psychiatric rights

movement. For information on how to join this e-mail list and view its archives

go to:

prison-psychrights/

For information about MindFreedom, and how to join, see:

http://www.MindFreedom.org.

Free free to forward this alert.

 

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