Jenny Stover testifies on criminalization of mental illness and Treatment Court Act
Jenny Stover says people with mental illness in jails suffer trauma, isolation, and lack of care, and that punishment is prioritized over treatment. She supports the Treatment Court Expansion Act and describes the impact of a loved one's incarceration on families.
Hi, Councilman, and thank you for having this hearing on mental health.
I'm a participant with a lot of different organizations.
On behalf of all individuals who are detained in New York City jails, prisons, and forensic facilities with mental illness, it's overwhelmingly harmful and helpful
due to the fact that the Department of Corrections are more focused on punishment than treatment.
In which massive deaths are occurring in New York and other states from overdose, suicide, paranoia, abuse, etc.
Individuals with mental illness are suffering with trauma, isolation, lack of care, and long-term damages under DOC custody.
Before mental illness, individuals are detained.
They are already suffering and not receiving professional medical treatment.
Some don't know they have symptoms of mental illness, the ones who are.
diagnosed or not being compliant with their medication, who are self-medicating themselves with alcohol or drugs.
They end up in the criminal justice system with minor or misdemeanor charges.
If the abnormal behavior
behavior continues to end up as a felony charge instead of the arresting officer acknowledging at their own discretion that these individuals have
symptoms of mental illness and substance abuse for both micro patients are taken to the hospital evaluated evaluated once evaluated
They are once evaluated, escorted to the civil court system under mental hygiene 94.3 petition, and the Mental Hygiene Parity Act states no one is denied treatment.
Once in the criminal justice system and the 730 evaluation is requested and the mental illness individual is unfit and sent to Rikers Island after plea or pleas,
and wait until a forensic facility has availability.
Then the mental illness individual has to be compliant and the clinical acknowledgement progress and assessments is taken.
If the treatment court
Court to plea again.
This is double jeopardy and maybe the individual may have received lesser charges charges or confinement This is definitely a challenge of torture This is why the treatment
Court Expansion Act should be passed for individuals who are diagnosed with mental illness to receive professional medical treatment and educated
of their illness and disease and given an opportunity to know how to live safely on a daily basis and a productive life.
How do I know?
Because I have a loved one incarcerated.
I'm going to ask you to wrap up, please.
Okay.
Loved ones struggling with mental illness and it affects the family.
And if you have not experienced the concern, you don't know what the issues are.
In New York City, there's 1.2 million to 1.5 million individuals with mental illness.
Throughout the United States, there are 1.5 million.
Mental illness.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Next, we're going to hear from Danielle Regis online.