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A small frustration with neurotypical people on the left right now — Y’all know we can already get imprisoned without trial on the suspicion we’re a danger to ourselves or others, right?
The president said some truly awful things about mental health yesterday. But he didn’t actually propose any radical changes to existing policy in terms of involuntary confinement in instances no crime has actually been committed.
The “red flag laws,” whatever those end up looking like, are new-ish. But the police can already drop you in the hospital to be imprisoned for an indeterminate amount of time if you’re considered a danger to yourself or others by a psych professional.
Inpatients in psychiatric care have rights, of course. It’s just that those rights are largely suggestions, in terms of enforcement and implementation.
The issue of poor enforcement of inpatient rights are how I first got interested and involved in disability rights. I was held in the hospital for days after I should legally have been able to check myself out, and I was a “voluntary” patient.
