DON'T BE DUPED (part II) SOLUTIONS

  FOR DECADES WE have been running away from our problems and now have to face them. We have the tools. :

1) Problem: we closed our mental health facilities in the 80's and offered no alternatives. Today, most of the mentally ill who cannot afford private care, wind up in prison where there is no treatment except heavy drugging, 

WE need  to get effective and available treatment in our communities and avoid future incarcerations fo these vulnerable people but we must also treat those that are in prison now. They are funneled into obscene conditions in various forms of solitary confinement ( mostly called RHUs or Restrictive Housing units) BECAUSE they are too ill to be in general population. The WIDOC has no tools to deal humanely with this population and we need to give these tools to them- training , new rules and a treatment center.

THE WIDOC has been here before- A lawsuit mandated the building of a mental health treatment center for the Women's prison in Fond du Lac. Until the present mess, covid and lockdowns, it was working well according to two Former DOC psychologists.

here are some photos of the center from a DOC powerpoint document document:

links to the lawsuit complaint that mandated the center

link to the whole power point, tell of massive rule changes and training 

What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger: Surviving Amidst Mental Health Litigation

FFUP's shortened version

COLORADO SYSTEM_ the model for all of us-

      they have no solitary confinement over 15 days and NO staff shortages.

Rick Raemisch, one of the main architects of colorado's new system now heads a foundation that consults with prison systems around the country on how to facilitate a similar healing.

   Rick raemisch on his night in solitary

    link to falcon organization web

    Article comparing CO and WI i 2016.

SECOND PIECE OF WHAT WE NEED:REDUCTION OF POPULATION

graph on population rise

Details on folks that need to be released: 

CA bill that lead to prison population reduction - factors most important were NO MENTAL  HEALTH TREATMENT and NO GENERAL TREATMENT

     CA BILL/ shortened/TREATMENT  /RAEMISH  MY NIGHT/