Survey Results Published: "Prisons or Hospitals for Mentally Ill Offenders?"

CITIZENS' OPINIONS were collected on whether acute mental patients should be imprisoned or hospitalized if their mental dysfunctions cause them to violate laws.  The survey closed today, and I would like to share the results with NowPublic.com readers.  We hope that candidates for public office will take note to the fact that Americans overwhelmingly reject the notion of criminalizing mental illness.  Sick people should not be used as "commodities" for private prison profiteers. 

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PRISONS OR HOSPITALS FOR THE
MENTALLY ILL?  

Please see the results at this link:

 Summary and Narrative
(Deleting 1 and 14 to protect participants' I.D.)

http://www.surveymonkey.com/sr.aspx?sm=UEy3jTvmr4Oi3bhWk5djlKNKMmDO0fPWb7dTDZURhKg_3d

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Many thanks to all who participated!  The poll was sent via email to various Yahoo Groups, including Conservative Principals and Activism @ Yahoo Groups.  It was also available on the Internet to the general population under generic tag lines, like "mental health."  The survey only accepted one (1) completion per URL.  Therefore, the pollster believes the survey reflects the opinions of a wide cross-section of potential voters.

The pollster's inexperience in creating surveys prevented increased participation, as the anonymous survey had a text box at question no. 1 for participants to volunteer their email addresses and to explain their interest in mental health.  Therefore, some people did not understand that giving their email address was optional, and decided not to take the survey as a result. 

Secondly, in order to protect the participant's' identiies, the pollster had to forego sharing the survey participants' answers at questions no. 1 and 14, where email address information was entered.  The pollster is therefore unable to publish the strong views about inadequacies in America's mental health system and suggestions for improvement that many participants offered. 

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You might know that Senator Joseph Biden is a great mental health care advocate.  He is co-sponsor of the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act, which is a bill drafted by Congressman Kennedy and others.  If passed, mental health care would be placed on an equal basis with physical health care under insurance plans.  In a nation where one of every five citizens is said to have some type of mental disorder, the bill has great significance.  Perhaps it will even serve to help reduce the large number of mentally challenged persons presently imprisoned:  1.25 million citizens. 

Read more about Senator Biden here:  http://my.nowpublic.com/health/senator-biden-vp-excellent-news-mental-health-care-advocates

This poll was designed to help our elected officials realize that their constituants support expanded benefits to mental patients in our society, and that Americans do not wish to see people imprisoned for having a very common and highly treatable health condition:  mental illness.  This is especially true since criminalizing mental illness is significantly more expensive for taxpayers than treating mental illness as any other sickness - with doctors and in hospitals rather than with policemen and in prisons.  Proper, timely treatment for mental patients yields the same results as it does for people with diabetes or heart conditions - restoration of citizens back to useful and productive lives.

Members of the Senate and the House from both sides of the aisle have made great strides in 2008 regarding caring for Americans with disabilities, including mental patients.  I am very proud that both senators from Georgia, Senator Chambliss and Senator Isakson (R-Ga), and my Congressional representative, Hank Johnson (D-Ga), supported the expansion of benefits to Americans with Disabilities. The results of this poll should encourage our elected officials to keep up the good work!

CONGRATULATIONS, REPRESENTATIVES, ON RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT!

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Mary Neal
Website http://wrongfuldeathoflarryneal.com

Assistance to the Incarcerated Mentally Ill

Visit Online at:   http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/AIMI

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.  ~ Matthew 25:37-40