One in three California prisoners has a diagnosed mental illness. The state’s solution for some? Move them around.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation failed to respond to several requests by CalMatters for an interview but sent written answers to emailed questions. Department representatives declined to comment on Collier’s case, citing health privacy laws.
Prisoners’ rights advocates have long argued that prison is not the right setting for people with serious mental illnesses. For the many who wind up behind bars anyway, Collier’s story poses a critical question: Are frequent transfers a good solution for anyone?As a child, Collier was sweet-natured and sensitive, a tow-headed boy who made friends easily and loved teddy bears, chess and snuggling with his dog, Jessica, his mother recalled.
Only much later did his friends and family discover the extent to which Collier had been living a nightmare during those early years. At various points, several different men abused him physically and sexually, according to his mother, friends and prison medical records. In his early 20s, after a stint in jail, Collier met another girlfriend, Miki Cornilles, at a rehabilitation program on a working farm. Cornilles was drawn to his humor and kindness. They eventually moved into an apartment and began using drugs together, she said. Cornilles was troubled by how intensely meth affected Collier. One day, she recalled, his mother brought over a new set of dishes. Collier threw it in the garbage.
Corrections spokesperson Waters said in a statement that inmates can be transferred for a variety of reasons, including court hearings, medical treatment, mental health treatment, changes in security level, patient safety, staff conflicts, misconduct allegations or parole. At the other end of the spectrum are state hospitals, which are separate facilities that also house people who are not in the criminal justice system.the state’s mental health program guide.But the system doesn’t always work perfectly. Sometimes people who need it aren’t referred to a higher level of care, the Inspector General has determined in several investigations.
But some say a provider and bed shortage means inmates don’t always get the mental health care they need. Even if inmates are extremely sick, state hospitals are often wary of admitting those with high security levels or histories of bad behavior, said Jessica Winter, an attorney with the Rosen, Bien, Galvan & Grunfeld.the federal class-action suit on behalf of inmates with serious mental illness. That case has led to important reforms, she and other advocates say, including more oversight of how California’s prisons treat inmates with mental illness than exists in some other states.
A psychologist who evaluated Collier around that time considered him incompetent to stand trial, saying he was agitated, heard voices, needed medication, and was asking for treatment, according to court records reviewed by CalMatters. Reiter of UC Irvine calls what happened to Collier — bouncing between crisis units and state hospitals and seven different prisons— “a very sad and very unsurprising story.”
Several inmates who moved at least five times in the last year told CalMatters the constant transfers prevented them from establishing relationships with therapists. With every transfer, they said, they often lost their few possessions. They were shocked that someone outside the system even noticed. Johnson said he has transferred at least seven or eight times since last June; CalMatters has documented eight moves to five facilities in less than a year.Randall Shrout, an Amador County public defender who represented Collier in a 2018 case, said frequent transfers are common among his clients, many of whom come through Mule Creek State Prison in Ione.
“You can’t possibly keep up with the transfers,” she said. “How engaged can you possibly be in a system that’s meant to make you go away completely?”Every day for four years, Susan Ottele would log onto her computer to check on her son’s whereabouts.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Cougar wanders into California classroom — one official thought it was a seniors' prankA custodian managed to confine the young cat and wildlife officials tranquilized it. One school official thought it was a prank by seniors on the last day of school.
Read more »
One dead, one missing after 12 kayakers go over Virginia damNEW YORK — One woman has died and another is missing after a group of 12 kayakers became stranded and then went over Bosher's Dam in Richmond, Virginia, on Monday afternoon.
Read more »
Ray Liotta: One of his best performances was also one of his firstJonathan Demme's 1986 film 'Something Wild' convinces you it's one kind of story — and then Ray Liotta walks into the frame. Film critic Keith Phipps reflects on one of the late, great actor's first (and best) roles.
Read more »
No one signed a bullied boy's yearbook; then one message changed everything'There were no messages. There was nothing about how smart, funny and awesome he is.”
Read more »
Norm Macdonald had one last secret“Nothing Special,” which he named before he died in September at 61, of complications from cancer, begins airing Monday on Netflix.
Read more »