Let's talk about something nobody seems to be talking about, shall we? Let's talk about the men and women in California's Department of State Hospitals (DSH). For those who aren't aware, these people are not being held because they're being punished (or so the court's have consistently said), they're being held because they have a mental health condition of some sort that necessitates them being placed here. Personally, I disagree with the assessment that this isn't punishment, but today, I'm not here to discuss whether or not it's right to put somebody in prison for being mentally ill, I'm here to point out how these people are suffering because of COVID19, suffering in ways even we're not dealing with in #CDCR.
So, I called one of the units there. Apparently, these guys have phones on their units that allow incoming calls. According to the guy I spoke with, not only do they face more restrictions then they would in prison in many areas, but all treatment stopped in March of this year. This means that their sole reason for being in prison, mental health trsatment, no longer exists, and they can never be released. To make matters even worse, these guys only get out of their rooms twice a week for 50 minutes each time right now because of the COVID19 lockdown. So, you've got people with mental health conditions serious enough to warrant a civil commitment, but instead of allowing them out on a regular basis for fresh air, they're locked up almost all week long. If you're having problems with sheltering at home, imagine how many issues they're having, how much worse their mental issues are becoming.
As of this writing, 3 people have died, and 31 are currently infected, but unlike CDCR, I didn't see a patient tracker showing the totals infected or dead. Why? Does nobody care? Have we become so callous that we carelessly disregard our loved ones because of a mental health illness?
Its terrible. These people should receive treatment!
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