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Power Line's Hinderaker: Schools Should Be More Like Biker Bars

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Gus12/16/2012 10:03:44 am PST

re: #474 Killgore Trout

That’s what I was just thinking about. I wonder how European countries deal with the issue. In London, I almost never see crazy street people wandering around or camping in alleys or parks. They must put them somewhere.in Paris there are a few crazies wandering the streets but they seem mostly harmless old winos. I suspect most Europeans countries still have a system of state incarceration for the mentally ill.

From Wiki.

Involuntary commitment - United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the process known in the United States as involuntary commitment is informally known as “detaining” or “sectioning,” using various sections of the Mental Health Act 1983 (covering England and Wales), the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 and the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 that provide its legal basis.

In England and Wales, approved mental health professionals have a lead role in coordinating Mental Health Act assessments, which they conduct in cooperation with usually two medical practitioners. Under the Mental Health Act, detention is determined by utility and purpose. Mentally ill individuals may be detained under Section 2 for a period of assessment lasting up to 28 days or Section 3 for a period of treatment lasting up to 6 months. Patients already on a ward may be detained under section 5(2) for up to 72 hours for the purposes of allowing an assessment to take place for section 2 or 3. Separate sections deal with mentally ill criminal offenders. In all cases detention needs to be justified on the basis that the person has a mental disorder and poses a risk of harm to their own health, safety, or the safety of others.[20]

Under the amended Mental Health Act 2007, which came into force in November 2008, to be detained under Section 3 for treatment, appropriate treatment must be available in the place of detention. Supervised Community Treatment orders means people can be discharged to the community on a conditional basis, remaining liable to recall to hospital if they break the conditions of the community treatment order.

In the case of spree killers we’re not looking at a homeless population. Not sure about the subway shovers. Also, to note, that people with mental illnesses are more likely to be victims of violence rather than the other way around.