It can happen to any of us or a loved one. A tragic car accident left Russell Ables with a traumatic brain injury. That disorder impacts his consciousness, reasoning, inhibitions, and social behavior. Now a judge put him away without even a day in court. This happens to men at 10 times the rate of women. The mindset of our law enforcement & courts is preoccupied with the notion that men are a greater social danger than women, so mentally ill men usually end up arrested & put in jail, while women get the more humane treatment of medical intervention, or just left alone. Journalist Dale Denwalt of the Oklahoman writes about Russell's day in court being denied, and how he will be locked up as a presumed criminal for the rest of his life (barring a miracle). Here's just a bit of how Denwalt describes it...
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To make matters worse, the new state mental health agency ODMHSAS decided to privatize the public health functions and most of their corporate contractors stipulated that they do not want to accept patients who are ordered into mental health treatment by cops or courts, leaving cops little choice but to declare a criminal infraction and arrest the ill person. That's where men are vastly abused, while women are ignored. A judge made a court order limiting Able's contact with a person. That person complained to the court that a phone call was made. None of this was ever proven in court, yet Ables has been stripped of his civil liberties and labeled a 'criminal'.
Russell Ables is by no means the only person in Oklahoma being treated this way. This weekend I spoke with other families who share a similar injustice. They don't want their loved one's name to be published. All of it is happening because 20 years ago the state politicians bought the line that we don't need residential mental health facilities anymore.
Here's more of Denwalt's report on Ables' case...
So Ables must go to prison for life because his medical condition arose after his 22nd birthday. Had he been a victim earlier in his life, he'd be spared the disgrace of a public court record and a mugshot in orange prison apparel. (we filtered his photo to remove the orange, to spare him and his loving family from further social victimization) |