Gifford's shooter sentenced

[The Cool Thatguy]

http://blog.al.com/wire/2012/08/gabb...ng_suspec.html

This is old news by now, and to be honest I'm really posting this link because I have a question. It's generally agreed that the shooter has schizophrenia. Does anyone know if he was treated for it before the shooting, and if so did he willingly stopped his meds, or what?

[Jeff Brady]

The article doesn't say he's been sentenced.

[The Cool Thatguy]

Eh, he pleaded guilty. Nothing left but to go through the motions.

Again, anyone know if he was being treated for mental illness before the attack? Am I the only one who's concerned that the default response to those with mental illness who commit acts of violence they can't control is to throw their ass in jail?

[Rasputin9977]

Again, anyone know if he was being treated for mental illness before the attack? Am I the only one who's concerned that the default response to those with mental illness who commit acts of violence they can't control is to throw their ass in jail?

Some of these people can be dangerous. I'd rather have them behind bars.

[The Cool Thatguy]

Some of these people can be dangerous. I'd rather have them behind bars.

AS opposed to, I dunno, treatment?

[Rasputin9977]

AS opposed to, I dunno, treatment?

Going by the psych reports I've read, it doesn't always work and it's sometimes not easy to find.

[snarkbunny]

Eh, he pleaded guilty. Nothing left but to go through the motions.

Again, anyone know if he was being treated for mental illness before the attack? Am I the only one who's concerned that the default response to those with mental illness who commit acts of violence they can't control is to throw their ass in jail?

When he got suspended from school, he was ordered to get a mental health clearance before he was allowed back, and I can't find anywhere that says he complied. Also;after his competency hearing, he was under forcible medication pre trial according to Wikipedia, so take that for what it is worth.

I would reply to you and Rasputin that the VAST, VAST majority of schizophrenic breaks and people suffering from mental do no harm to anyone, and if they do, their #1 target is themselves. In other words, it is far more likely that a person suffering from schizophrenia would harm themselves rather than harm other people. In fact, they are far more likely to be the victims instead of the attackers.

As for your question, it is the same one I wonder about in situations like Vince Weiguang Li, and where do you balance the line between public safety and individual rights There is no easy answer but I would note that it was in jail where Loughner started to get treatment.

[Rasputin9977]

Oh I didn't mean that all people that have a serious mental illness should be locked up. I meant to say once they hurt someone else they should be treated as anyone else; which in cases like this they need to be locked up.

[snarkbunny]

Oh I didn't mean that all people that have a serious mental illness should be locked up. I meant to say once they hurt someone else they should be treated as anyone else; which in cases like this they need to be locked up.

What do you mean by "treated as anyone else"? Does that mean you think violent offenders should not be treated for their diagnosed mental illness? Or that they should be kept in the general prison population?

[Vibranium]

They should be prosecuted as criminals....provide treatment to a point

I would isolate them in prisons, if space allows...but not every facility has that option

[dupont2005]

What do you mean by "treated as anyone else"? Does that mean you think violent offenders should not be treated for their diagnosed mental illness? Or that they should be kept in the general prison population?

Can't they have both? Send them to prison and give them their meds.

[dupont2005]

My uncle is a paranoid schizophrenic and doing life in prison and getting his meds. If he had murdered someone instead of struck out with a bank robbery I guess it would be inhumane to put him in prison though, right?

[The Cool Thatguy]

My uncle is a paranoid schizophrenic and doing life in prison and getting his meds. If he had murdered someone instead of struck out with a bank robbery I guess it would be inhumane to put him in prison though, right?

I kinda think it's inhumane to hold someone responsible for actions they cannot control, and actions they cannot control go hand in hand with mental illness.

[snarkbunny]

Can't they have both? Send them to prison and give them their meds.

They could. I was curious about Raspy meant since "treated as anyone else" is one of those phrases that means different things to different people in my experience.

My uncle is a paranoid schizophrenic and doing life in prison and getting his meds. If he had murdered someone instead of struck out with a bank robbery I guess it would be inhumane to put him in prison though, right?

I kinda think it's inhumane to hold someone responsible for actions they cannot control, and actions they cannot control go hand in hand with mental illness.

And I suspect my attitude lies somewhere in the middle. There must consideration for public safety and reparation, but I also believe there is a difference between someone like Vince Weiguang Li and someone like Paul Bernando, and our justice system needs to be able to reflect that. Does that mean a psychiatric hospital instead of a prison? Sometimes. The trouble is that there are so many factors into play (propensity to violence, required treatments, etc) that I believe the only blanket rule, is to judge each case on its merits.

[dupont2005]

I kinda think it's inhumane to hold someone responsible for actions they cannot control, and actions they cannot control go hand in hand with mental illness.

So let them keep on killing? I don't think anyone who has ever gone on a murdering spree could be considered okay. What if someone with a mental illness runs a red light, do they get a ticket? I say remove their driving privileges if they can't follow the rules of the road, and I say remove their freedom privileges if they can't follow the laws.