Stop Criminalizing The Mentally Ill

Target:

NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly

Sponsored by:

Rights for Imprisoned People with Psychiatric Disabilities

Too many incidents that should have been handled differently by the NYPD and have resulted in serious injuries if not death or imprisonment of the mentally ill.
I seek to promote the people's word for the need for change through this petition and ask all to join as concerned members of society.

NYPD Commissioner; Ray Kelly
We the undersigned, respectfully ask that the implementation of pre-booking jail diversion(crisis intervention teams) for the psychiatric disabled be instituted within the NYPD and that a more sound collaboration between mental health service providers and the nypd commence in an effort to save lives, bring recovery to the psychiatric disabled, save tax payers dollars, create more caring communities, and reduce the jail and prison populations, inwhich an individuals mental illness only deterioriates more.
We ask that better training for the NYPD be provided geared towards preventing escalation and or casualties when responding to individual calls in situations whereas individuals may have a mental illness , inorder to respond appropriately to situations that may arise and that the cycle of incarcerating the mentally ill cease to continue as a form of punishment and filling jail and prison beds.
That the mentally ill be provided with the opportunity to recover their sanity in a more safe and healing environment that'll provide appropriate services for their betterment, instead of imprisoned.
Thank You.

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We signed the "Stop Criminalizing The Mentally Ill" petition!

# 407:

6:09 am PDT, Sep 19, Katy McDermott, Florida
This is ridiculous. How can mentally ill people be treated like this? It's a disease like any other.

# 406:

5:50 am PDT, Sep 19, Lisa Keils, Florida

# 405:

7:59 pm PDT, Sep 18, Cari Welsh, Florida
My father has bipolar disorder and has been in jail for over 4 months, for 'fleeing.' He was tasered in the FACE three times by police officials when he was arrested -- I am LIVID! This will not be the first or last time you hear from me.

# 404:

4:24 pm PDT, Sep 17, Name not displayed, Virginia

# 403:

1:02 pm PDT, Aug 30, Quann Bibbings, New Jersey
I think that there are too many people in jail that are not realy intune to what socalled regular people such as are selves call normal or a sane life and the juditial system still want to put then in jail just for the money insted of putting then in a place that will help them insted of a place were people who are regular and cold hearted can take advantage of them. I should know, I spent some time in prison before.

# 402:

11:41 pm PDT, Jun 19, Ron Goodman, Idaho

# 401:

8:59 pm PDT, Jun 16, Joe Tobia, New York

# 400:

8:57 pm PDT, Jun 16, Yariv Leers, New York

# 399:

8:56 pm PDT, Jun 16, Mike Pert, New York

# 398:

8:56 pm PDT, Jun 16, Arline Wrecker, New York

# 397:

8:55 pm PDT, Jun 16, Frank Kunkel, New York

# 396:

8:54 pm PDT, Jun 16, Hon.Howard Birnbaum, New York

# 395:

8:53 pm PDT, Jun 16, Eric Waxman, Pennsylvania

# 394:

8:51 pm PDT, Jun 16, Jeff Fischman, New Jersey

# 393:

8:51 pm PDT, Jun 16, Seth Stern, New Jersey

# 392:

12:44 pm PDT, Apr 14, Lee Woodard, Virginia
We at Human Rights USA have been warning of the criminalzation of mental health issues for 12 years. I am glad to see the problem recognized and steps taken to address the issues, for the cost of doing nothing will be great.

# 391:

7:06 am PDT, Apr 13, Linda Johnson, Texas
This need to stop immediately, these people who prosecute these citizens needs to go to jail for abuse and tampering with evidence, government documents, and inhuman treatment to these people. I am very concern due to a family member being abuse now.

# 390:

3:18 pm PDT, Apr 9, Colleen Shullick, Florida

# 389:

8:48 am PDT, Apr 5, Katherine Diaz, New York

# 388:

1:17 pm PDT, Apr 2, Name not displayed, California

# 387:

7:05 am PDT, Apr 1, Judith Hutchins, Michigan
Lack of commitment by state admoinistrations and legislatures to correcting the problems. Lack of comprehensive programs for the mentally ill. Stigma. Lack of funding. No increase in funding for mental health services in Michigan in 15 yrs. Huge decrease in availability of psych. beds for the most seriously ill, so that jails and prisons become defacto holding centers, much cheaper in the short term, hUgely more expensive in the long run. TREATMENT WORKS; IF YOU CAN GET IT! Today, if a person doesn't get better with a handful of pills, it's "well too bad. He just isn't trying." Far more intensive therapies, in addition to medications, are needed. Funding of many more ACT teams and CITs is needed, and would return so many more people to satisfying and productive lives. Taxpayers instead of tax users (for those who care more about the fiscal implications than the humanitarian). And above all, PREVENTION and EARLY INTERVENTION, not forcing people to wait until their illness is out of control to get treatment. Also, we need to be able to provide compulsory outpatient treatment for those who do not recognize their illness, with hospitalization available as an option for non-compliance. And keep people hospitalized long enough for treatment to become effective.

# 386:

3:41 am PDT, Apr 1, Patty Yarbrough, Mississippi
Why are our prisoners being treated so terribly? They need help and rehabilitation not abuse by the officials the state hires to see over them. They deserve food, clothing, and medicines that they are denied.

# 385:

12:16 pm PDT, Mar 31, Stefanie Pickus, United States Minor Outlying Islands
Very unfair on how the Police treat Mentally Ill, same for lawyers, judges all very unfair on who they incarcerate, the innocent.

# 384:

11:10 am PDT, Mar 31, LaDonna Stutesman, Kansas

# 383:

10:42 am PDT, Mar 31, Ed Randolph, New York

# 382:

10:22 am PDT, Mar 31, Tamara Place, New York

# 381:

8:12 pm PDT, Mar 30, Patricia Spink, Pennsylvania

# 380:

4:49 pm PDT, Mar 30, Renate Lunn, New York
As a public defender, I can see how jail hurts mentally ill defendants more than helps them.

# 379:

1:24 pm PDT, Mar 30, Ronda Boutwell, Ohio

# 378:

12:41 pm PDT, Mar 30, Name not displayed, West Virginia

# 377:

2:05 am PDT, Mar 29, Merlleena BooDoo, United Kingdom
Ive just logged in and i saw this topic. An hour ago i was sat on a train and i picked up a news paper someone had left behind, this very same subject was in there. Makes very interesting reading thats for sure. Once i was sent to prison for one week for speaking honestly (without agression or swear words) to the judge. My ex husband wanted to see our two year old daughter and so had took me to court. I had forbidden it as he beat me badly and tried to rape me whilst pregnant with her. My ex is a Dr and the Judge seemed to think the sun shone out his ass cos he's a fellow professional. Anyway he sent me to prison to teach me a lesson in not speaking my mind. Whilst there, i wasn't given any Meds for four days, i even said to the Dr in there if my own Dr at home knew what she was doing or not doing as the case was, he would be apauled. I met an 18 year old girl in the Dr waiting room, she told me she had Mental health problems and that she wasn't getting the help needed. Two days later she was Dead! she'd hung herself in her cell with the cord from her jogging bottoms. What i just wrote speaks volumes i'd say. As for me, i had nightmares for two years, also a fear of expressing my feelings and speaking my mind. The system is so out of date, it so needs changing. Love and Light Merlleena

# 376:

7:13 pm PDT, Mar 26, Teresa Ritsema, Michigan

# 375:

4:57 pm PDT, Mar 26, Mary Neal, Georgia
My brother, Larry Neal (1949-2003, was a mentally ill heart patient secretly arrested in Shelby County Jail, Memphis, Tennessee. http://wrongfuldeathoflarryneal.com. We are the only American family in the 21st Century to have a member secretly arrested and returned to us a corpse with no apology, explanation, excuse, arrest records, inquest, or investigation! We need an INVESTIGATION by the USDOJ - the agency that had overview of the jail at Larry's death, Aug. 1 '03. What are they hiding? Euthanasia to the mentally ill?????

# 374:

1:12 pm PDT, Mar 26, Charlene Barker, Canada
This is disturbing why take advantage of the sick,and why has it taken so long for someone to help them?

# 373:

3:52 am PDT, Mar 26, Alex Abdilla, Malta

# 372:

4:22 pm PDT, Mar 25, Ines Seidel, Germany

# 371:

12:50 pm PDT, Mar 23, Anne Seidel, Germany

# 370:

7:08 am PDT, Mar 23, Kelly Dyer, Michigan

# 369:

1:27 am PDT, Mar 19, Linda Hughes, Florida

# 368:

5:20 pm PDT, Mar 18, ELIZABETH DOUGHERTY, California
any type of awareness to the public has to aid our loved ones whether they are in mental health hospital... or waiting to be charged further for etc.. against a staff member in one of these facility.. which is totally ludicrous... they have rights also...

# 367:

8:00 pm PDT, Mar 15, Stephanie Michta, Florida

# 366:

11:59 am PDT, Mar 11, Charlotte Sapp, New York
Individuals with mental health issues shoud be in a mental institutions with the proper medical staff to address such issues not prisons.

# 365:

9:58 am PDT, Mar 11, Kathleen Williams, New York
Why are issues such as this ignored for so long? Another use of the prison system to further marginalize the already marginalized

# 364:

9:26 am PST, Mar 8, Doreen Mcgill, New York

# 363:

2:52 pm PST, Feb 27, Stephanie Napolitano, New York

# 362:

10:53 am PST, Feb 27, Kevin Shullick, Florida

# 361:

6:23 am PST, Feb 27, Franz Kurz, Germany
The justice system here in Germany is keen to engage volunteers for the support of offenders in order to assist in their return to community and help them in 'opening doors' as it were. Our work has show positive results in keeping recidivism below 50%, 16% related to nearby Therapeutic Facility.

# 360:

6:09 am PST, Feb 27, Doreen Nash, New York

# 359:

9:02 pm PST, Feb 26, Jen Stewart, Canada

# 358:

6:42 am PST, Feb 25, Kerry Craig Walker, Georgia
Why are people in law inforcement often so heartless and cruel?

# 357:

6:08 am PST, Feb 25, Kimberly Shaw, New York

# 356:

4:41 pm PST, Feb 22, Dustin Shullick, Florida

# 355:

10:12 am PST, Feb 22, RIVER FRANCE, Canada

# 354:

3:36 pm PST, Feb 20, Carmen Reyes, New York

# 353:

12:12 pm PST, Feb 19, Julie Mormando, New York

# 352:

12:01 pm PST, Feb 19, Vincent Sabater, Massachusetts

# 351:

9:47 am PST, Feb 19, Marie Vieux, New York

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