I'd much rather have people who have been convicted of a crime, who have MI, be sent to a hospital where they can receive treatment, than to a prison. The prisons already have enough MI prisoners in them.

Here in Canada, there are separate forensic secure facilities for people found not criminally responsible, due to MI. My psych hospital has a secure minimum security unit, for people who are getting ready to transition back into the community.

Discharge from the hospital does not mean absolute discharge. Most people are released under a conditional discharge with a community treatment order, meaning they must remain on their meds - sometimes take their meds supervised, or refrain from drugs and alcohol. CTO's are tailored to the individual's circumstances.

splitimage