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MyspaceNancy Speer, whose 22-year-old autistic son, Ben Warren, was jailed last year after he stole a county Foodbank van, spoke out against the imprisonment of the homeless and mentally ill during a press conference held in front of Santa Barbara County Jail on Thursday.
Warren, who is affected by Asperger’s syndrome and has suffered from psychosis since adolescence, was homeless and living on the streets prior to the theft. For the past 11 months he has been locked in County Jail, reportedly attempting suicide twice in that time.
Warren, said his mother, has also been moved to an isolated “safety cell” numerous times during his imprisonment, which Speer believes caused his current psychosis state, as well as his refusal to eat or drink. Although he had been transferred to the county’s Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF), Speer went on, Warren spent only two days there before being transferred back to isolation in jail.
“He has received little or no medical treatment for his mental illness and no counseling for his suicide attempts,” claimed Speer, flanked by a number of supporters. “Nearly two weeks ago he was observed in the fetal position, naked on a cement floor in a safety cell with only a blanket — nothing else.”
Paul Wellman
Nancy Speer speaks during an emotional press conference about her mentally ill son, Ben Warren, jailed for the last 11 months (February 11, 2012)
After meeting with a jail commander and a mental health care representative about Warren’s deteriorating condition, Speer recounted, she was not satisfied with their ability to properly monitor and treat her son’s condition. Warren was recently transported to Cottage Hospital — he had continued to refuse food — where he was treated for weight loss and malnutrition. He was then taken back to PHF where Speer was able to visit him. She was shocked at the physical and emotional state she found him in.
“He had lost a tremendous amount of weight, perhaps as much as 80 pounds,” described Warren tearfully. “His body and face were covered with wounds, cuts, and abrasions.”
With conflicting reports on the causes of Warren’s injuries (it’s unknown if they’re self-inflicted or not), Speer believes that Warren’s refusal to take his medications has contributed to his inability to take care of himself. Warren’s worsening condition during his time in jail prompted his mother to speak out against the imprisonment of other mentally ill people who, she feels, don’t receive adequate treatment.
“As things stand now, everyone here is probably in agreement that mental disorders and the criminal justice system can present a deadly combination,” Speer stated. “This combination has nearly taken my son’s life.”
Speer questioned why the mentally ill are commonly warehoused in jails where their conditions go untreated when, as she put it, they could oftentimes be placed in hospitals or health-care facilities and receive counseling and medical attention.
“By joining hands and working together, allowing our hearts to speak, we can find ways to redeem what has been lost and move forward together to create a system of true judicial, healthful, and compassionate correctional justice,” concluded Speer.
Speer went on to introduce Madeline Sharples, whose son committed suicide in 1999 due to his untreated bipolar disease. Sharples’s son took his medication sporadically and was considered “a master at acting normal” when talking to police or hospital officials, which, according to his mother, made it impossible for others to see that he was a danger to himself and others.
“Please don’t make the same mistake with Ben Warren,” pleaded Sharples. “He needs hospitalization and medication. He may be an adult, but he’s not acting like an adult in taking care of himself.”
Amanda Garcia is an Independent intern.
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Comments
So much is so broken down on the county level here, regarding mental health, crime. Why isn't the system being overhauled? It's just not okay that this mother has to make this kind of plea. Not in this country and certainly not in this county.
Emily (anonymous profile)
February 10, 2012 at 9:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
FYI- there are such pesky things as State Law that governs much of what transpires once someone, mentally ill or otherwise, is convicted of a crime. with this story as with many others, sadly due to confidentiality laws, the public, and advocates, hear only one "side" of very tragic stories
thoughtihearditall (anonymous profile)
February 10, 2012 at 11:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Jail is not appropriate in this case. Who was the judge?
Ken_Volok (anonymous profile)
February 10, 2012 at 12:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What this mother and her son are going through is so heartbreaking. The system has failed them and there should be a solution so that this does not happen to anyone else. Jail will only harm him more. I hope he is able to recover from the trauma he must be enduring every day he is in there.
This reminds me of a great quote I heard the other day, "Justice is what Love looks like in Public". May we all keep compassion in our hearts and may there be a better place than jail for Ben and others like him.
sbs124 (anonymous profile)
February 10, 2012 at 1:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What is amazing is that with all the various boondogles (including the $100,000,000,000+ proposed rail system) California cannot find a way to house the least (in the economic and medical sense) among us.
billclausen (anonymous profile)
February 10, 2012 at 4:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"Speer questioned why the mentally ill are commonly warehoused in jails where their conditions go untreated when, as she put it, they could oftentimes be placed in hospitals or healthcare facilities and receive counseling and medical attention"
They are housed in jails because the prison system has become a "for profit" industry and the prison unions are fighting for control of the mental health business. Mental institutions used to be the norm until Gov. Reagan dismantled the system.
The State legislature and current Govenor do nothing to reform the system. Just ask Das Williams why mentally ill adults go to jailhouses instead of mental health institutions. He will give you an eloquent answer but will not propose any legilation to reform the broken system. His union contributions keep him from working for social justice when unions are involved.
Georgy (anonymous profile)
February 10, 2012 at 4:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think we can all agree that the jail is not the best place for the mentally ill, but with no comments from the other side, it is hard to know what is actually happening. The mother of this man is hardly going to give a rational unbiased recitation of the facts. What I can gleen from the story is that her son has been to PHS and the hospital and they have returned him to the jail. So two groups of professionals, which this mother is not, determined that it was safe for him to return. PHS is as overcrowded as the jail is, so maybe that is the problem, but I have one question for this mother: where were you when your son was homeless and on the street with a mental condition that can be treated but was obviously not? If his mother cared half as much then as she does now, maybe he would't be on the street causing danger to other by stealing vans and driving them around while he is psychotic.
johnny123 (anonymous profile)
February 10, 2012 at 5:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Its sad, but he did break the law, and if you don't like jail, then don't break the law. Pretty simple I think. This man needs to be in some sort of facility, if this lady had money, I am sure she could do better for him, but us poor folk go to county jail and this is what you get.
AZ2SB (anonymous profile)
February 10, 2012 at 9:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thats the point AZ2SB, it is doubtful the kid even understands the concept of law much less he was breaking one.
Ken_Volok (anonymous profile)
February 10, 2012 at 10:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"Mental institutions used to be the norm until Gov. Reagan dismantled the system.
The State legislature and current Govenor do nothing to reform the system." -Georgy-
Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a Gold Star winner! It's nice to see someone that recognizes BOTH sides of the issue and doesn't take the usual line of only blaming Reagan without pointing out that the many Democrats/progressives who have succeedeed him in the nearly four decades after he left office have failed to restore these services. (But of course they have plenty of money for all their other Pet Projects--and to be fair, I don't see Republicans stepping up to the plate on this either)
Das Williams...polished, media savvy, and anointed.
billclausen (anonymous profile)
February 10, 2012 at 10:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is a horribly painful experience for a parent. I sure hope this press conference made a difference in his treatment.
IEEE Spectrum (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) July 2011 magazine had a cover article about Gary McKinnon, A 36 year-old Scottish Asberger's patient and hacker who was traced to his home in London after hacking US Defense Dept., NASA, army and air force PC's. The article explains that Asberger's patients don't have a normal perception of crime, and also mentions that people with Asberger's Syndrome have personality traits that are common to engineers.
This isn't the first case of someone with a mental illness has had very questionable medical care at Santa Barbara County Jail.
I just found out that Sheriff Brown is a Commissioner on the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission for the State of California. I think that's pretty scary.
14noscams (anonymous profile)
February 14, 2012 at 3:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)