He was killed by a prison system that kills many people each year due to lack of medical care and unduly harsh conditions and attitudes. The New York Times ran an opinion piece by some academic a few weeks back that gave figures on institutionalization that belie the prevailing myth that there are more people with mental illness in prison now because of state hospital bed closures. At the height of institutionalization in the '50's, almost 50% of the psychiatric inmates were women. 95% of the people in prison in the U.S. today are men. It is simply not the same people who were going to state hospitals now going to prison.

We are putting far more people in prison in general than we used to in this country. We are at an all time high of percentage of the population in prison. It is not at all clear that people with psychiatric labels are in prison out of proportion to our percentage in the population.

And they didn't mention all the deaths in our wonderful remaining state hospitals. Nor that the feds. just weakened the regulations on restraint use in hospitals.

I saw most of the 60 minutes show. The practice of handcuffing prisoners to their beds in their own cell, to stop them from hurting themselves is a lie and is torture. It should be banned/illegal to do.

I've seen other prison videos where they ask the prisoner to stick their hands out a small hole in the celldoor. This is to get handcuffed/secured before guards enter the cell, if they don't trust the prisoner and have to enter the cell.

..And they didn't mention all the deaths in our wonderful remaining state hospitals."--alison

Exactly. People die state hospitals and THAT never gets on the news. They have become the forgotten lost souls in this society.

This is a story that MUST open our eyes. Though I have no solution; I do know that this is something that cannot/and should be tolerated.

Also, just a sidenote: those tan straps (restraints)shown on Timothy's wrists are used on mentally ill patients, whether they are a threat or not, in ambulance transportation; protocol being "just in case, for staff safety."

Regardless of his history of mental illness, nobody should have to die of dehydration while in custody. Sounds like there need to be some criminal charges filed.

Part of the reporting of this story, however, was inaccurate. There was a statement made that "shoplifting cost him his life." In all fairness he did commit assault and he was a threat to other people, hell he threatened people with a knife. That's called assault, at least in my state. Does it mean he deserved to die for it, of course not. But, 60 Minutes' reporting of this story should have been a little more honest.

Being that I have been in (knife-holding) situation(s) with a person with mental illness; I know one thing: A PRISON is not the place to send the person.(if they need to be sent anywhere at all).

The actions of the prison (lack of basic humane treatment) and resulting death of Timothy is deplorable.

People may wish to visit http://www.aclu.org/pdfs/prison/michiganopinion20061113.pdf
to read the order and opinion in Hadix v Caruso filed on 11/13/06.
The opinion begins: "Say a prayer for T.S. and the others who have passed. Any earthly help comes far too late for them."

laura

You can see the 60 minutes video here:

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml

Frankly, I didn't have the stomach to watch it.

I think there are 2 separate issues here. First, withholding food and water and tying someone up for hours on end is torture. Mental illness or not. Those responsible need to face the justice system. That story sickens me.

Second, is the issue of what should be done in a case where a person is violent but has mental illness. We HAVE to protect society. Mental illness or not you can't go around shoplifting and threatening people with knives. In that case, I do support involuntary commitment to a psych facility. The problem is that people that are a threat to others are mixed in with those who are only deemed a threat to themselves. I don't support involuntary commitment for that 2nd group of folks. The reason I say that is we don't forcibly treat people who eat themselves to death, or smoke, or refuse to take their antihypertensive meds, or drive too fast, etc.

I think part of the problem here is that we kind of want it both ways. We want for people with mental illness to have the right to refuse treatment or choose the treatment of their choice, but we also want to say they're too ill to be held accountable when they commit a crime. Either a person is too ill to make rational decisions...or they're not. We can't have it both ways.

i work as a health provider in a prison system and I can tell you that we are nothing like Michigan. We do not put people in restraints and if they do not take food or water, they are amitted to the infimary where they are closely monitered and given IV solutions.