The Arbitrary Fate of Someone Dangerous to Themselves or Others – In the Criminal Justice System

December 23, 2022December 25, 2022 moraljustice2016 Competency Restoration, criminalization of mental illness, Mental Illness

Without provocation, he threw objects at staff and assaulted staff, requiring manual, mechanical, and pharmacologic restraints. Shortly after being released from restraints, he assaulted a staff member by chokehold, again requiring restraints.His escalated behavior continued the next day, during which he assaulted staff on 3 different occasions, including punching a staff member in the head … Continue reading The Arbitrary Fate of Someone Dangerous to Themselves or Others – In the Criminal Justice System

Guilty But Autistic

June 16, 2021June 17, 2021 moraljustice2016 criminalization of mental illness, Mental Illness, schizophrenia

The title is definitely meant to be provocative. This blog post was inspired by an initiative of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the Department of Human Services to increase awareness about the challenges of people diagnosed with autism that become justice-involved. Autism and the Courts | Learn | Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania (pacourts.us) Medical … Continue reading Guilty But Autistic

The Brain That Has a Mind of its Own.

January 21, 2019February 4, 2019 moraljustice2016 criminalization of mental illness, Jill Bolte Taylor, Mental Illness, schizophrenia

A neuroscientist's story about her stroke, recovery, and the insight she gained. My Stroke of Insight is a book written a decade ago by brain scientist Jill Bolte Taylor. I just recently learned about the Jill Bolte Taylor story when I caught the tail end of a radio program. What piqued my attention was the … Continue reading The Brain That Has a Mind of its Own.

SMI Diagnosis can be a death sentence.

July 7, 2017July 13, 2017 moraljustice2016 criminalization of mental illness, Death Penalty, Mental Illness

Due Justice Project does not normally comment on specific legal cases. However, today it must speak out about a case in which the actions of the criminal justice system reflected willful moral depravity. For the governor of Virginia to refuse to commute the sentence of William Morva on the assertion that the trial was fair … Continue reading SMI Diagnosis can be a death sentence.

Students of Forensic Psychiatry See SMI Up Close.

May 11, 2017May 12, 2017 moraljustice2016 criminalization of mental illness, Forensic Psychiatry, Mental Illness

Today, a link is added to this blog page to an article published on the News and Events page of Lander College for Men. Link to article: Seeing SMI Up Close Enlightening to Forensic Psy Students DJP especially appreciates the comments of a student who remarks about how seeing the inside of the criminal justice system opened … Continue reading Students of Forensic Psychiatry See SMI Up Close.

Punishing Brains, We Know Not What We Are.

September 14, 2016October 6, 2016 moraljustice2016 criminalization of mental illness, freudianism, Mental Illness, Mentally Ill

Before the criminal justice system can begin to curtail punishing the symptomatic behaviors of severe mental illness to the extent that it needs to, we must come to terms with what we are as human beings. As it stands now, many of us hold near absolutist notions of what makes us good or evil beings … Continue reading Punishing Brains, We Know Not What We Are.