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Original Message

Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted by (jverlund@msn.com) on Monday, January 27, 2003 at 19:43:37

body: Maybe your son should have been shot for stabbing an officer of the law. Who is here to protect people. Just cause your son has mental illnesses doesn't mean he should be able to get away with stabbing someone with a ballpoint pen. GET A GRIP.

Our Forward to the President's Commission on Mental Health

Dear President's Commission on Mental Health,

We are forwarding an E-mail we received today regarding our website www.injusticeunveiled.com. This is the kind of thinking that the people with mental illness and their families face on a day to day basis. The stigma, discrimination, and the ignorance about mental illness has created some people in our society, such as this individual, to think that it is acceptable to shoot, jail, or imprison people with mental illness just because they are mentally ill. Law enforcement in this country have little to no training on how to handle people with mental illness. Therefore the jails and the prisons have become the new mental institutions. Many people with mental illness have senselessly lost their lives because the police are trained to" shoot to kill". They do not shoot to "wing" an individual. How sad that with all our technology that the police have not thought of alternatives to the gun.

We applaud you for all the effort you are doing to help people with mental illness. Proper training of police officers in crisis situations need to be made a federal mandatory requirement for law enforcement personnel and to have mental health professionals ride along with police to de-escalate crisis situations. If people with mental illness were given proper medical treatment and medicines to help their symptoms and if hospitals would admit people in crisis these changes would help those who suffer from mental illness. Educating the general population starting with teaching about mental illnesses in the school curriculum is essential. Thank you for all your hard work. We will continue our advocacy for people with mental illness.

Jim and Carol Otremba
St. Cloud, MN

Their Response:

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Carol Otremba

Thank you for writing to the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health and I apologize for the delay in responding to your email.

I am saddened to read of the stigma and discrimination experienced by individuals with mental illnesses and their families from the public. Thank you for sharing your comments and experience with the Commission.

The subcommittee on Criminal Justice recently presented its report to the Commission. This report and all subcommittee reports are available to the public on our website at http://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov/subcommittee/Sub_Chairs.htm. Please continue to follow the progress of the Commission as it finalizes its action plan for the President that will improve America's mental health service delivery system.

Thank you again for your concern and interest in the Commission's work.

Sincerely,

Commission Staff

President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 13C-26
Rockville, MD 20857
Visit our website:
www.MentalHealthCommission.gov

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