psychiatric hospitals, Michigan incarcerates mentally 1...

ill Afterclosing

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hospitals, Michigan incar""J;; Afterclosingpsychiatric

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51ststate?Yoopers talking are up fromMichigan secession again predicament CliffAvril's contract could haveripple effectwithLions

Patlie Charleston, 50 of Detroit shows ofi a picture of her son Wlliam RhynEs, 20 who is currently locked up in the \ hyne County jail for three counts of arryEd robbery Charleston is a peer support specialist and facilitator at Detroit Central City Community Health Agency and feels that her son should have been receiving mental health treatment when he started getting into trouble. / ERIC SEALS/Detroit Free Press

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r - BvJercerritt Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleonspoke for most sheriffs { Gl DeroitFpe when he said, during a community meeting earlierthis year, that F;;"'Lt Columnist a{ry his jail had become his county's largest mental health care FrLED 'NDER opinion Local corumnists institution'

Most Viewed Over the last two decades, changes in state policy and big cuts in funding for community mental health care have pushed hundreds of thousands of mentally ill people into county jails and state pnsons. Between 1987 and 2003, Michigan closed three-quartersof its 16 state psychiatrichospitals, including Northvillein suburban Detroit. The state now providesthe sixth-lowestnumber of psychiatricbeds per capita in the nation, reports the TreatmentAdvocacyCenter. Trailer:'Frrst Position'
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mentallyill 1... After closing psychiatrichospitals,Michigan incarcerates

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Related Links Jefi Gerritt:Other big citiesfind ways to cut violence Free Press specialreport:Livingwith murder Jeff Gerritt:When jails must be mentalclinics l\4ental care shouldn'tbe policework Jetf Getritt:Salvaginglives,saving rnoney:Eight pilotcourts that divert rentally ill offendersfrom prison insteadof Jeff Gerrilt:Mentallyill get punishment treatreni

"We closed many(hospitals), too too quickly," president the MarkReinstein, of Mental Health Association Michigan, in told "lt me thismonth. wasn't donein a olanned. rational way." Community mentalhealthagencies which weresupposed takeup the slackbut to neverreceived resources do so - face the to continuing budget cuts.Thestatehas resumed warehousing mentally - this its ill timebehind bars.

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A University Michigan of studylastyearfoundthat morethan20To had mental of the state'sprisoners severe disabilities and far morewerementally The samestudyfoundthat65%of ill. had orisoners with several mentaldisabilities received treatment no in the previous months. 12 jails,wherepsychiatric The problem evenworsein county is is nonexistent. 1999, Department In a of treatment virtually WayneStateUniversity Community Healthstudy- conducted by foundthatmorethan Kentand Clinton Counties of jailsin Wayne, werementally and one-third ill wereseriously halftheirpopulations fromschizophrenia, afflicted, suffering bipolar and otherpsychotic lf the has since then. disorders. anything, crisis worsened Sometimes, resultsaretragic.In 2006,I reported Timothy the that ill for JoeSouders, mentally 21-year-old a serving to fouryears one gunsandthreateningpolice had two a officer, stealing paintball four daysstrapped diedof heatand thirstafterspending downin a in hot isolation naked cell, and soaked hisownurine. 2008, statehasslashed from Since the $S0million community with morethan mentalhealthagencies, WayneCounty absorbing halfof the cuts. Detroit Theannual budget the nonprofit for Central City largest Community MentalHealthone of Detroit's community plunged mental health from$11.2 million 2008to in agencies, President CEO lrvaFaber-Bermudez the cuts and said $Smillion. haveforcedher agencyto closean urgentcareclinicand end an program. housing Gov RickSnyder and the effective transitional wantto Legislature shouldreconsider thesecuts if theyreally mentally people ill from improve mentalhealthcareand remove prisons jails. and program Treating clientin a community costsabout$10,000 a one year,compared Detroit with $35,000 yearto houseone prisoner. a jail programs re-entry report and Central City's diversion prisoner ratesof lessthan 1Oo/oat leastfourtimeslowerthan recidivism the overallstateaverage. 4,600peoplea year,Detroit Central City,headquartered at Serving 10 Peterboro, reaches onlyhalfof thoseneeding community people mentalhealthservices. Statewide, morethan200,000 a yearuse community mentalhealthservices, experts at but say

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psychiatric Afterclosing hospitals, Michigan incarcerates mentally 1... ill

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leasttwicethat manyneedthem. The return of hope Homeless, Michael Squirewell, cameto Detroit 56, Central City threeyears agowithnothing morethanthe clothes hisback. In on the early1980s, formergangmember the had nearly in $175,000 casn. Growing in the Brewster up Projects, Squirewell dropped of out grade. school thethird in Oneof hisfriends the northwest on side was nowfamous writerMichael EricDyson, who citedSquirewell as a peerwho "sought protect fromsomeof the worst to me in elements our neighborhood." Later, a founding as member YoungBoysIncorporated, of Squirewell drugsand recruited sold othergangmembers some -as youngas 8 - on Detroit's westside.Hewas stabbed and shot whilewitnessing nearlya dozenshootouts murders. and By the mid-1980s, Squirewell become own bestcustomer. had his Mentally and addicted crack, ducked Dumpsters, ill to he into hiding fromthe copsandgetting high."l didn'tcareabout anything you or anyone, evenme,"he said."Fora while, getthe cars, the girlfriends the money. a lot of painandsuffering withit. go and But It'snot worthit." By the time he got to Detroit Central City,Squirewell broke was and almost of hope. Theagency out senthimto a transitional program two months housing for and helped applyfor Social him put Security benefits. diagnosed mental lt his illness, himon medication taughthimhowto paybillsand cookmeals. and lt gavehim a newsenseof hopeand self-worth. Today, his two-bedroom in apartment EastJefferson, looks on he out at Bellelsleand the Detroit River, instead boarded of homes He and dopehouses. plansto marryJackie Taylor, of Detroit, 47, nextyear.The two met at a statejobs program yearsago."She 13 walked milewithme,"he said. this program, Enrolled a literacy in Squirewell continues workon his to people going GEDand mentors through samestruggles the he did. "Detroit Central Citysavedmy life,"he told me. "l'm moving forward, l'm notlooking back." and D i a g n o s e d i n p ri s o n Someclients don't reachDetroit Central Cityuntilafteryearsof incarceration, Norris said Howard, manager community of re-entry. ill JerryZillnerof Detroit didn'tknowhe was mentally untilafterhe '13- SO-year started serving for a to sentence second-degree murder, crimehe committed early1986, a in whenhe was 19,after man his a neighborhood assaulted mother sister Detroit's and on eastside.He was diagnosed prison in withparanoid schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Zillner, was paroled April5, after 44, on serving morethan 26 yearsin prison. prison, Before Zillner worked a discjockey, mainly after-hour as at

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parties. dropped of Southeastern Schoolin the 1Oth He out High grade. "l always knewsomething wrong, I didn't was but findout I hada chemical imbalance I wentto prison," toldme."WhenI got until he (themild-mannered upset,I was likeDr.BruceBanner comic-book physicist involuntarily intothe raging who turns Hulk). had racing, I manic I in thoughts.couldgo from1 to 1,000 moments." Aftersentencing Zillner, JudgeGeorge lll Crockett ordered a psychiatric Zillner months a prison in evaluation. spentseven forensic unit. In orison. Zillner earned GEDbutwassometimes of control. a out Following beefin 1994,he stabbed inmate a an multiple timeswith (Theinmate a homemade shank. survived.) Zillnerstarted takingpsychotropic medications evenhis to He thoughts moods. joined Nation lslam. newfound and the of His He faithgavehim strength alsoforcedhimto lookat himself. but get a second knewhe wasluckyto chance. "l can never illness) a crutch excuse," use(mental as or Zillner told me."lt doesn't lessen responsibility a man.I deserved my as that punishment. just thankful stillalive." l'm l'm Zillner On parole, cameto Detroit Central to get a monthly City injection Prolixin, antipsychotic of an drug. He alsofoundother waysto helphimself. Nowhe spends to threehours dayat two a groupmeetings counseling Detroit City,attending and Central sessions talking peerspecialists mentally people and to ill who seryeas mentors. Detroit Central Cityhelpedhimsettleat CassCommunity Social At readsand meditates. At Services. home,Zillnerexercises, he'sslimand cut.Hehaslinedup a job 6-feef4and 185pounds, worker as he puts it, "garbage or, man,"and as a sanitation workwiththe Nation lslam. continues to of Wthout Detroit Central City,Zillnersaidhe wouldprobably be "Thisplacehelped become me he backin prison. stable," said."l l'm havea supportsystem. doingwell,and I'm aboutto do better." Cries for help peersupport Pattie Charleston, certified a specialist Detroit at Central City, hasspentmostof the lastsixyears helping other justicesystem mentally peopleavoidthe criminal ill and get the community treatment need. they "Every day when I comein, I see me,"saidCharleston, who 50, 24 yearslockedup for various including spenta totalof offenses, prostitution drugs. checkfraud,larceny, and A manic-depressive, became Central a Cityclientin Charleston 2003,afterdecades mentalillness, of severe depression, incarceration substance and abuse. Shestarted drinking 11.By at 19,she was usingcrack.She triedto commit suicide slittingher by wrists, overdosing painkillers, hanging on and herself.

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"lt was really cryfor help," a shesaid."l couldn't understand why my lifewas sucha rollercoaster. Evenwhen I was off drugs,this cloudwouldcomeout of nowhere." AfterDetroit Central Citydiagnosed mentalillness, her she had to confront stigma. the "You're labeled crazy," said.',1 that as she felt if I hada mental illness, lifewasgoing be limited." my to Charleston worked with a treatment teamand learned howto manage stress and mental illness. therapist Her helped cope her withthe painand traumaof childhood molestation. lmpressed with her progress, agencyhiredCharleston the two yearslater.She laterbecame certified peersupport a specialist, working a mentor as and rolemodel. Thisyear,herworkwithjail diversion became evenmorepersonal. Shevisits 19-year-old William her son, Rhymes, theWayne in CountyJail,wherehe awaits trialfor armedrobbery. Charleston believes son is - likeher-- bipolar, he hasn't her but been diagnosed treated. attempted or He suicide 2008,according in to courtrecords. Lastmonth,I wentwith Charleston visitherson in jail. No chairs to wereavailable visitors, for who had to practically shoutthrough smallglasspartitions. Rhymes told me he askedto speakto a psychologist week a earlier had heardnothing. feeloverwhelmed," said. but "l he Charleston workswitha social worker, tryingto makesurethe courtevaluates son'smental her illness. As she leftthe jail, Charleston placedher handon the glass, whereherson placed and heldit there. his, "He's slipping through the cracks," saidas we walkedaway. don'twantthemto she "l counthimout." JEFF GERRITTis a Free Presseditorial writer.Contacthim: gerritt@freepress. or 313-222-6585 com

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