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What happens after a defendant is found not guilty by reason of insanity?

nytimes.com

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Re: What happens after a defendant is found not guilty by reason of insanity?

#131

Post by mi3law »

thomastjeffery wrote: post #55

> people who have been found not guilty by reason of insanity or who have been arrested but found incompetent to stand trial — are involuntarily confined to psychiatric hospitals. Here, "psychiatric hospital" literally means "prison with carpets". There are locked doors instead of bars, and caretakers instead of guards, but it's a prison all the same. My brother had a mental breakdown ( not violent or criminal , but…

Hi Thomas. Thank you for sharing your story. I'm sorry about your brother. I'm going through a similar situation with someone very dear to me, and I'm wondering what will happen to them. Would you have time for a quick chat or phone call? My email is in my profile; please email me if you see this.

Re: What happens after a defendant is found not guilty by reason of insanity?

#132

Post by hycaria »

KGIII wrote: post #112
limeblack wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It should be noted that voluntary commitments can rapidly and more easily become involuntary commitments. After all, the patient has already admitted that they are unwell. Yes. Once admitted you have something no matter how convincing you are. Never talked to someone who walked out having not be diagnosed with something.

I'm not sure this is really on-topic, but I'll share it anyhow. I think it adds to your statement with personal experience. Warning: This may be a bit long and hastily written. For reasons, I once doubted my sanity. To make a long story short, I used to use an obscene amount of drugs. I'm an addict in recovery, sort of - I take prescribed Suboxone. I didn't use because I didn't feel well, I used because I wanted to f…

Because you can't prove someone is sane, yet you can check (with varying accuracy) for "insanity". That's exactly the content and meaning of their answer. That's why you never got the sentence you waited for.

Also, you have an interesting life story :)

Re: What happens after a defendant is found not guilty by reason of insanity?

#133

Post by ddorian43 »

KGIII wrote: post #36

Tom, name made up, is a friend of mine. Sort of... I knew Tom for only a short while but I still write him letters and send him a few dollars every couple of weeks. When Tom was just 18, he had finished school and was headed off to a large university on a sports scholarship. Not having any money, and coming from a poor family, he looked forward to this. It was going to be his big break. But, Tom needed a wardrobe fit…

Sorry buddy, but Tom was never "ok". You don't end your life for 30 days probation.

Re: What happens after a defendant is found not guilty by reason of insanity?

#134

Post by KGIII »

hycaria wrote: post #132
KGIII wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure this is really on-topic, but I'll share it anyhow. I think it adds to your statement with personal experience. Warning: This may be a bit long and hastily written. For reasons, I once doubted my sanity. To make a long story short, I used to use an obscene amount of drugs. I'm an addict in recovery, sort of - I take prescribed Suboxone. I didn't use because I didn't feel well, I used because I wanted to f…

Because you can't prove someone is sane, yet you can check (with varying accuracy) for "insanity". That's exactly the content and meaning of their answer. That's why you never got the sentence you waited for. Also, you have an interesting life story :)

It has been a fun ride. It's nearing the end and I have no complaints. I'd not go around again, make some room for the next set of riders.

Re: What happens after a defendant is found not guilty by reason of insanity?

#135

Post by pdkl95 »

dsego wrote: post #123
wolco wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a lot to parse. Thoses drugs are dangerous and do not cure a patient usually leaving them in a worse state mentally. When you are the one forced to make these decisions its tough because there are no easy answers. I find the traveling through time reference interesting. I remember the line from slaughter house 5. What cosmic truth was he approaching?

I forget the details, but my brother filled his head with ideas about non-linear time, spiritual plane, lacrimosa (?), and some other nonsense he had discovered in his crazy state of mind, very philosophical new-age stuff. My father is also that type who believes in esotericism, things like pendulums, bioenergy and radiesthesia. So this really affected him. And I guess he had had some internal conflicts about his mar…

(Somewhat OT)

> People see distorted faces, visions, hear things and the worst part are not these hallucinations, but delusions, strong beliefs

> but to them it was like they really uncovered some deeper meaning.

> ome internal conflicts ... and then started decompensating

If anyone is interested in a taste of what that might be like, the recent game "Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice" is very impressive. It's basically a psychosis simulator, developed under heavy consultation from a group of patients that suffer from psychosis/delusions.

Similar to how you mentioned it's not just the hallucinations, the game does things like using "find the perspective that makes those logs look like a rune/glyph" to prime/encourage the plater to see potential "deeper meanings". Headphones are required, because binaural recording techniques are used very heavily to e.g. place voices in specific locations "in" and around your head.

Warning: this recommendation includes a very strong trigger warning re: grief, mental and physical abuse, and (obviously) the very graphic realities of severe psychosis and other mental health issues.

http://www.hellblade.com/

Commentary by the devs and some of the consulted patients about making the psychosis simulator: (some mostly-minor spoilers) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jF3rr6t2Hg

Development diaries: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbpkF8TRYizaT6GfMcKBG...

If you prefer watching as LP, I recommend (Yogscast) Hannah's: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK9CD9s2JfIeoub7dINHI...

Re: What happens after a defendant is found not guilty by reason of insanity?

#136

Post by throwawaydbd »

This happened to a family member of mine and it's honestly the best possible outcome for people as out of touch with reality as he is. This may not be the best system for some that get caught in it, but it does serve a purpose in dealing with the criminally insane.

He was too dangerous and unpredictable to live with us anymore. The rest of the family kept weapons under our beds of various kinds, hoping to God we would never need to use them. A group home was a joke, he would have assaulted someone within a week. He would escape and start driving on the wrong side of the road on purpose for "reasons". We hid the keys, but he was above normal intelligence despite his insanity and would always find them. He would attack his family and the neighbors when he thought we were after him.

His prospects were jail and homelessness, we were so happy when he ended up in a high security mental facility, ecstatic.

Now he's in a place that's better than jail or being homeless where people care about him at least a slight amount and there's relative safety. He's not surrounded by criminals, behind bars, or dying on the street.

Yeah, it's not a great place to be, but the best outcome an extremely schizophrenic large male can hope for. He doesn't deserve jail because he has no bearing on what is allowed in society and attacks people out of fear. When he's calm it can seem like you're talking to a normal person for a few minutes. Then he goes off the rails... But still there's a really intelligent shard of sanity in there somewhere.

Re: What happens after a defendant is found not guilty by reason of insanity?

#137

Post by BearGoesChirp »

Sangermaine wrote: post #56
BearGoesChirp wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where is the difference between 'I choose to do it' and 'I couldn't choose not to do it'? A lot of perceived differences between these I've seen others mention is based on free will, which is something science isn't sure even exists.

If you're responding to the parent's situation where someone causes violence due to mental issues leading to a loss of control, the latter may be treatable and curable, after which the threat is gone if the person, absent the mental issues that caused the loss of control, doesn't want to harm people. The former was a choice that may be made again, so is therefore always a threat even if they truly repent and are sorr…

So, for example, should pedophiles who abuse not be guilty of a crime and instead just be chemically castrated, because without the desire they wouldn't have wanted to harm a child? Consider many places involuntarily commit such individuals into psychiatric wards, though normally only after the prison sentence has been served.

Re: What happens after a defendant is found not guilty by reason of insanity?

#138

Post by BearGoesChirp »

dragonwriter wrote: post #62
BearGoesChirp wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where is the difference between 'I choose to do it' and 'I couldn't choose not to do it'? A lot of perceived differences between these I've seen others mention is based on free will, which is something science isn't sure even exists.

> which is something science isn't sure even exists. “Free will” isn't something “science isn't sure even exists”, it is instead fundamentally incompatible with the model of reality which is required by science.

I was trying to avoid going on too strong, but free will does seem akin to magic or miracles given our current scientific understanding.

Re: What happens after a defendant is found not guilty by reason of insanity?

#139

Post by cwkoss »

jimmies wrote: post #66
nodesocket wrote: post #23

Just finished Manhunt: Unabomber[1] on Netflix. According to the show, it was Ted Kaczynski's entire defense to rebuttal his charges saying forensic linguistics and the FBI agent who "cracked" the case had no precedent. The agent was in fact a traffic cop before becoming an FBI agent and had little formal linguistics training. Instead Ted's defense behind his back went with insanity and tried to get him to plead to "…

I have read his manifesto. That was actually not a bad read at all. I think some of the circuits in his brain was damaged and not functioning right, but certainly not all of it. Most of the points he brought up is logical and still applies till today.

Makes you wonder if his time in the MKULTRA program had anything to do with his decision to be violent.

Re: What happens after a defendant is found not guilty by reason of insanity?

#140

Post by angmarsbane »

mi3law wrote: post #131
thomastjeffery wrote: post #55

> people who have been found not guilty by reason of insanity or who have been arrested but found incompetent to stand trial — are involuntarily confined to psychiatric hospitals. Here, "psychiatric hospital" literally means "prison with carpets". There are locked doors instead of bars, and caretakers instead of guards, but it's a prison all the same. My brother had a mental breakdown ( not violent or criminal , but…

Hi Thomas. Thank you for sharing your story. I'm sorry about your brother. I'm going through a similar situation with someone very dear to me, and I'm wondering what will happen to them. Would you have time for a quick chat or phone call? My email is in my profile; please email me if you see this.

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) has free classes and support groups for friends or family members of people suffering with mental illness.

It helped my Mom and me immensely when our family member had a psychotic break. I highly recommend them if you can make the time.

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