This story highlights so many issues with the U.S. criminal justice system. Trumped-up charges. A long period of imprisonment with no conviction because bail is unaffordable. Then negligence & mistreatment behind bars...
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Price— a homeless man w/schizophrenia — was charged with making terroristic threats after walking into a police station, pointing his fingers in a gun shape at police, & making verbal threats.
Bail: $1,000. He couldn't afford it & was locked up for more than a year w/out trial
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In jail, he refused his meds. Was put in solitary confinement. Ate & drank less and less.
His weight dropped down to 90 pounds. Pictures of Price at the time of his death are grotesque & skeletal. But "jail staff gave this inmate plenty of food and water," the sheriff says!
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Price died of acute malnutrition & dehydration. He was found dead in a pool of standing water & urine, his feet severely shriveled from "prolonged moisture exposure" in his cell.
His family is now suing the county & the jail medical services provider
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quite a few people have made comments like "oh, his family could bring this lawsuit but not put up the $1,000 bail?"
first, I don't think we should presume to know anything about what they can and cannot afford (and they could have pro bono lawyers now)
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but also... perhaps his family believed (incorrectly, alas) that jail would be a safe place for him. remember, Price was frequently homeless & suffering from mental health problems. His fam may have thought, hey, at least in jail he'll have shelter, meals, medical care...
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Or maybe they were just frustrated! Maybe they thought "we've bailed him out of trouble enough times, he can stay in jail for a while now."
Whatever their reasons, good or bad, it doesn't justify the way he was neglected
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I would say this man should never have been in jail in the first place but should have been placed in a mental health institution...but many of those are no better.
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....there's that hypersensitivity again- (ITS JUST A FINGER) is this some kind of trait??!!
where does this precarious irritability come from? its so strange to me!
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Alternatively, cashless bail isn't working.
Perhaps an express Court for misdemeanors with an expiration date eg court date within 2 weeks, prosecution cannot waive and at 14 days, you walk.
aka Right to a speedy trial.
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So how do YOU suggest dealing with social issues in a country where "socialism" is a misunderstood "evil."
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