Counties face choice about forcing more mentally ill Californians into treatment

Crime is going up and the Progressives are not blaming the opens of prisons gates, illegal aliens, the drug cartels or gangs.  Nope, all the crime is because of mental illness.  Here is an easy way to prove that.  Send all the criminals that did not finish their sentences, back to jail.  Stop parole based on a nice smile and a promise never to harm anyone again.  Close our borders and stop importing rapists and career criminals from foreign countries.  Then let us see if crime is caused by mental illness—or criminals.

“After years of resistance, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to implement Laura’s Law, becoming the 21st county to do so. The remaining 37 counties have until July 1 to choose whether they want to opt into the law named after 19-year-old Laura Wilcox, who was shot and killed by a severely mentally ill man in 2001 despite his family repeatedly warning authorities that he was a threat. The board of supervisors in Santa Clara, the only large county that hasn’t yet approved the program, is set to take a final vote on the issue next week.

Meanwhile, state lawmakers will vote today on a bill that would broaden the criteria under which a court can order a mentally ill person to receive treatment under Laura’s Law. Compelling mentally ill people to enter treatment against their will remains contentious — advocates argue that it infringes on individual liberties and due process rights — but politicians appear to be coming around to the idea as the cracks in California’s overburdened mental health system become more apparent.

Instead of blaming the person, we are looking for excuses not to have people take responsibility for their actions.  Once finished with the social worker and the just out of college shrink, see if the criminals are cured—or just took a vacation.

Counties face choice about forcing more mentally ill Californians into treatment

Photo credit: Michael Coghlan via Flickr

by Emily Hoeven, CalMatters,  5/21/21  

Time is running out for California counties to decide whether they want to develop programs that would give families a legal tool to get severely mentally ill relatives into treatment.

After years of resistance, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to implement Laura’s Law, becoming the 21st county to do so. The remaining 37 counties have until July 1 to choose whether they want to opt into the law named after 19-year-old Laura Wilcox, who was shot and killed by a severely mentally ill man in 2001 despite his family repeatedly warning authorities that he was a threat. The board of supervisors in Santa Clara, the only large county that hasn’t yet approved the program, is set to take a final vote on the issue next week.

Meanwhile, state lawmakers will vote today on a bill that would broaden the criteria under which a court can order a mentally ill person to receive treatment under Laura’s Law. Compelling mentally ill people to enter treatment against their will remains contentious — advocates argue that it infringes on individual liberties and due process rights — but politicians appear to be coming around to the idea as the cracks in California’s overburdened mental health system become more apparent.

State Sen. Susan Eggman, a Stockton Democrat, wants counties to go on the record regarding Laura’s Law. She wrote the bill that not only imposed the July 1 deadline on counties, but also required them to submit reasons in writing if they opt out — previously, counties that chose not to participate often did so behind closed doors. She also authored the bill up for a vote today.

  • Eggman: “The human rights and public health crisis is not fair to families, and I think it has become a stark reality for everybody.”

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The coronavirus bottom line: As of Sunday, California had 3,667,550 confirmed cases (+0.03% from previous day) and 61,555 deaths (+0.1% from previous day), according to a CalMatters tracker.

California has administered 35,091,346 vaccine doses, and 47% of Californians are fully vaccinated.