Jailing of Mentally Ill
In response to “Incarceration of Mentally Ill to Be Probed,” Metro, Aug. 28:
“Why don’t we build a hospital?” asks Supervisor Ed Edelman. Why doesn’t Los Angeles County prevail upon the state to fully reactivate Metropolitan and Patton state hospitals? I ask.
Metropolitan, until 1966, was well able to house from 2,500 to 3,000 patients when our former Gov. Ronald Reagan opened the floodgates and forced over 80% of the very ill and psychotics to roam the streets looking for the havens promised them by the passage of the Lanterman bill. This Band-Aid treatment was never given to most of these poor “refugees” who didn’t, or couldn’t, find such facilities that were able to take care of them. I know, because I was there at that time as a volunteer technician.
The crisis evaluation system he spoke of can never give adequate care to replace the attention and treatment that can only be given in a hospital environment. These unfortunates deserve better than jail!
MIRIAM A. MASON
Beverly Hills
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