Police: State hospital patient escapes minders, attacks woman on Arborway

as far as I know patients are not shackled, unless maybe they are coming from Bridgewater, in which case they have been convicted or are awaiting trial. I think it's important for people to know that people with a mental illness are usually not dangerous criminals.

The system is broken where it comes to mental health care for adults. Health care services have been cut, agencies have been closed, staffing has been cut and whether the tax payers realize it or not, it is costing more for the court systems to process cases that could have been prevented by preventative care, like treatment, therapy and housing. Most people with mental illness can function in our society, although there is stigma attached to mental illness--there are still those archaic thinkers who believe that being mentally ill is a personal choice. To say that those with mental health issues do not pose a threat to the community and themselves is unrealistic. Judges and POs can do little to help people like this who are NOT competent who show up in their court rooms. Even judges are told by DMH and DDS that there are no beds, no programs, and so forth. Children, the elderly and the mentally/physically disabled are helpless, especially in the wake of major cuts. Why mental health care falls low in priority when it comes to funding is beyond me. YES a disturbed person can be dangerous. They have to resort to crime. Their families have given up, in most cases, and many do not have the capacity to maintain supportive relationships, leaving them to fend for themselves out of desperation. In THIS case, I know this individual to be dangerous. I think the media has minimized that FACT. He has a long record of violent crimes and a history of escaping from police and the legal system. Shame on the Taunton Hospital for not doing their research on this kid. This kid needs a place to live, a therapist, a case worker a psychiatrist and a way to protect himself and others from himself. Why hasn't DMH stepped in? Or DDS? Why isn't the legal system referring a guardianship process for this individual? This kid has slipped through the cracks for years. It is very, very sad. And scary.

Although Eeka is right, I have to say that he/she makes it sound so simple. The only port of entry to hospitals and stabilization is the emergency room. Even then there are patients who are being turned away, being told there are no psych beds available ANYWHERE IN THE STATE. This is common. I know families who have been stuck in emergency rooms for three days! I also know that there ARE empty beds in many of the psychiatric facilities and I also know that agencies cannot afford to buy them anymore.

*I have NEVER known a criminal who does not suffer some type of mental health impairment, whether it's psychiatric, psychological or cognitive*

This is important to note because of our overcrowded and VERY expensive prison system. We are wasting money by not making mental HEALTH a priority in the prison system. And in the long run, the recidivism rate is very high. So many crimes could be prevented if this country could get over the fact that mental illness is a condition like cancer or multiple sclerosis. Just because you can't SEE a physical disability, does not mean a physical disability does not exist. A chemical imbalance in the brain is a PHYSICAL DISABILITY.