Friday, November 29, 2013
Dave leaves college
Dave was there. He was in Bob Jones University, It was a strict and fundamentalist Bible college. Dave was going here because it was what his father and mother wanted. He had heard this almost weekly while growing up. BJU looked down on self ordained preachers and some of the faculty actually considered Brother Joe's brand of holy roller preaching to be downright heretical. But BJU consider the Pope a heretic too.
So being at BJU, under the shadow of Brother Joe's beliefs, Dave already had one strike against him. He would soon get two more strikes and be kicked out of school.
The first strike came from Dave hanging around an artist colony in the hills of North Carolina. There were many new thinkers with radical beliefs there. Dave started spending more and more time there has he was fascinated with the people and with talk of different religions and philosophies. He particularly like the discussion of eastern religions and learning about prior utopian communities of Emerson, Alcott, and Thoreau. They preached a simple living with high thinking. The general mood of the colony was libertine which was in direct contrast to BJU's legalistic view of Christianity.
The contrast of these community views affected people and their behavior. The religious school was angry and hostile toward the colony. In contrast, the colony would often say to say to the students and protestors, "let's sit down and talk about it."
There were a view who did sit down and talk. And occasionally the individual would end up joining the colony. Most opponents of the colony spread rumors and lies. A frequent complaint heard in nearby communities were that the colony were Satanists or homosexuals. Allegedly the satanist wanted to steal their babies and sacrifice them to the devil and that the homosexuals wanted to molest their boys and turn them into queers.
It was not long before there was a rumor going around that Dave was homosexual and was looking for a lover. Others used the fact that Dave had an effeminate study partner as proof that Dave was a pervert. The final straw was when the study partner was caught in a sexual act with his room mate. This was used as absolute proof of the evil of Dave and he was terminated from the school.
Monday, July 29, 2013
I have been thinking about this blog for the past week. I have made the decision to suspend my attention to this blog for an indeterminate time. I have not been involved directly in the PAIR Program for over 13 years. I only posted occasionally as this blog get tens of thousands of hits. I wanted to help if I could.
I have decided that the best way to continue this is to devote my energy to my commentary blog [here on blogger] or my web page www.bobcardwell.com. I am working on a book and I also hope to have an audio podcast up soon.
For information on the PAIR Program, call the Crisis Line of Marion County, Indiana.
I have decided that the best way to continue this is to devote my energy to my commentary blog [here on blogger] or my web page www.bobcardwell.com. I am working on a book and I also hope to have an audio podcast up soon.
For information on the PAIR Program, call the Crisis Line of Marion County, Indiana.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Kindness
I have worked in the field of social work, mental health, and psychiatry for 38 years. I have worked with many doctors, nurses, and therapists of all kinds. Some are very smart. Some are very well trained. Most like the work they do. However, these qualities are not what makes a good therapist. Sometimes the best therapists are those with the least training and education.
Yesterday I was reading Facebook. I saw an old quote Dalal Lama. It said simply, "Kindness is my religion." I too would like to affirm this and if there is anything consistent I have seen in good therapists over the years, and I believe it is the most important trait, it is kindness.
We all need to meditate at the alter of kindness.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
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Wednesday, July 10, 2013
An email from a person with mental illness, which arrived on 7/10/13
I ran accros your ite looking for the Pair program. To begin if you'd like to share my story i am ok with. I like to start off ny stating i come from a abusive mentally ill family, been adopted 2 times through family members as well. I am 45 yr age. 3 lovely childs. My illness has become apart of their lives as well. it did not take anyone to know an seek the help i knew i needed 16yrs ago and present.To seek help of a chemical imbalance i have lived with most of my life.I got the help on my own i realized 15 yrs ago on my own. Never been to jail or even seen a jail cell a day in my life. Due to an situation i was put in using my poor judgement , i did not recognize was a crime at the time. I was cohoared into going into a walmart store by a trusted elder PIG to pick up a ipad that was suppose to be paid for w/ creditcard. Elder PIG ex-friend, told me He didnt have i.d. to pick up the ipad package. So i used poor judgement went an retrieved the ipad for him an walked out the store .I was told It was sitting in the buggy next to me as i was waiting in customer service line on Dec 2012 . On March 7th , got a call from IMPD asked for me i answered the cell an arresting officer spoke my name an stated if i di not be home or answer my door in 3 secs he was going to Kick my door in. i asked why? he stated Hell tell me when he gets there. As i waited with my window blinds & front door wide open as well as notified family members in fear If something happens to me it will be visual being i live next door to a public church thats always busy,based on the statement the officer made to me before arrival. Finally they arrived an said wheres the IPAd your goin to jail an your child is going to CPS. As they surrounded me an blocked me in my hallway questioning me . My illness of bi polar , schizo anxiety and depression had already flaired up. They mentally attacked me, then eventually cuffed my hands so tight , i asked the officers if i can take my psych & blood pressure meds that were sitting there on the table he said YES! then said NO an called the pharmacy who verified they were my meds Instead the officer still decided No i could not have them then I had a Panic attack / my blood pressure rising an fell to the floor I fainted with the cuffs on my hands . It is sad that officers are not trained to deal with mentally ill people, and they put themselves above the law. An mishandling mentally human beings. I never was a threat i cooperated an still was treated inhumane Ive no history of drug or alchohol issues or any criminal backround history. Sides me loosing my Mom to death of cancer In june 2012. I was told about PARE in March 11 2013 upon 1st court hearing w/ a court social worker. An never heard from her again she stopped talking to me. As well as the Public defender as he removed himself from my case . Why i still dont know ? I had to hire my own attorney to stay out of jail for a 1st time class D theft in which i was incarcerated an requested a high amount of cash bail. Now the attorney i have works for the same court is refering me to the pair program . My private counceler of 4 yrs called my court attorney to ask him about Pair program . Since he mentioned it to me but he has not returned her or my calls. An i would like to know if this program will train police officers on how to act toward people human beings who have been diagnosede with mental illness? The courts an police should not mistreat an strike negatively toward persons w/ illness they should be trained an be able to recognize traits of human beings as myself. Not mentally ill persont only that but they come to intimidate and put metally ill persons undr pressure an that can very well in the future cause a person to lash out in a way of negative an cause harm to themselves or others. It is just not the way anyone who has an duty & oath to the public to be mistreated inhuman.It effects us all
I ran accros your ite looking for the Pair program. To begin if you'd like to share my story i am ok with. I like to start off ny stating i come from a abusive mentally ill family, been adopted 2 times through family members as well. I am 45 yr age. 3 lovely childs. My illness has become apart of their lives as well. it did not take anyone to know an seek the help i knew i needed 16yrs ago and present.To seek help of a chemical imbalance i have lived with most of my life.I got the help on my own i realized 15 yrs ago on my own. Never been to jail or even seen a jail cell a day in my life. Due to an situation i was put in using my poor judgement , i did not recognize was a crime at the time. I was cohoared into going into a walmart store by a trusted elder PIG to pick up a ipad that was suppose to be paid for w/ creditcard. Elder PIG ex-friend, told me He didnt have i.d. to pick up the ipad package. So i used poor judgement went an retrieved the ipad for him an walked out the store .I was told It was sitting in the buggy next to me as i was waiting in customer service line on Dec 2012 . On March 7th , got a call from IMPD asked for me i answered the cell an arresting officer spoke my name an stated if i di not be home or answer my door in 3 secs he was going to Kick my door in. i asked why? he stated Hell tell me when he gets there. As i waited with my window blinds & front door wide open as well as notified family members in fear If something happens to me it will be visual being i live next door to a public church thats always busy,based on the statement the officer made to me before arrival. Finally they arrived an said wheres the IPAd your goin to jail an your child is going to CPS. As they surrounded me an blocked me in my hallway questioning me . My illness of bi polar , schizo anxiety and depression had already flaired up. They mentally attacked me, then eventually cuffed my hands so tight , i asked the officers if i can take my psych & blood pressure meds that were sitting there on the table he said YES! then said NO an called the pharmacy who verified they were my meds Instead the officer still decided No i could not have them then I had a Panic attack / my blood pressure rising an fell to the floor I fainted with the cuffs on my hands . It is sad that officers are not trained to deal with mentally ill people, and they put themselves above the law. An mishandling mentally human beings. I never was a threat i cooperated an still was treated inhumane Ive no history of drug or alchohol issues or any criminal backround history. Sides me loosing my Mom to death of cancer In june 2012. I was told about PARE in March 11 2013 upon 1st court hearing w/ a court social worker. An never heard from her again she stopped talking to me. As well as the Public defender as he removed himself from my case . Why i still dont know ? I had to hire my own attorney to stay out of jail for a 1st time class D theft in which i was incarcerated an requested a high amount of cash bail. Now the attorney i have works for the same court is refering me to the pair program . My private counceler of 4 yrs called my court attorney to ask him about Pair program . Since he mentioned it to me but he has not returned her or my calls. An i would like to know if this program will train police officers on how to act toward people human beings who have been diagnosede with mental illness? The courts an police should not mistreat an strike negatively toward persons w/ illness they should be trained an be able to recognize traits of human beings as myself. Not mentally ill persont only that but they come to intimidate and put metally ill persons undr pressure an that can very well in the future cause a person to lash out in a way of negative an cause harm to themselves or others. It is just not the way anyone who has an duty & oath to the public to be mistreated inhuman.It effects us all
Tuesday, July 02, 2013
Advance Indiana: Federal Judge Accepts Former Chief Deputy Prosecutor's Plea Deal In Bribery Case
Advance Indiana: Federal Judge Accepts Former Chief Deputy Prosecutor's Plea Deal In Bribery Case
Wow
Wow
Thursday, June 27, 2013
I applaud Judge Pratt's decision and for keeping the pressure on. I have known of Judge Pratt for many years and her work at the county level. I would like to think I, and my co-workers, educated her on the dismal state of mentally ill in prison. Hopefully she will look at the private prisons as well.
The advocates of the mentally ill have warned the DOC about this for twenty years!
From the Indianapolis Star:
Details about the DOC’s plans for dealing with mentally ill prisoners placed in segregation for disciplinary or safety reasons came during a status hearing called by U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt.
The judge ruled in December that “mentally ill prisoners within the IDOC segregation units are not receiving adequate mental health care in terms of scope, intensity and duration,” and ordered the department to devise a plan to correct the shortcomings.
The judge’s ruling came after the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services Commission and a group of inmates. Pratt found that conditions endured by seriously mentally ill prisoners held in segregation units constituted “cruel and unusual punishment.” She also found that the DOC was aware of concerns about its treatment of mentally ill prisoners and “has been deliberately indifferent,” contributing to the suicides of at least 11 mentally ill inmates held in segregation units from 2007 through July 2011.
The new plan will eliminate segregation units — where prisoners often spend 23 hours a day locked in isolation — at state prisons. Instead, the roughly 400 seriously mentally ill inmates who require segregation will be grouped in a remodeled section of the Pendleton Correctional Facility.
In addition to the consolidation, DOC will add custody and treatment staff, said Craig Hanks, the agency’s executive director for mental health and special populations. Prisoners also will spend less time in isolation, he said.
No cost estimate is available for the changes, said DOC Chief Financial Officer Andrew Pritchard.
“This is a really ambitious plan, and it sounds like we’re making progress,” Ken Falk, the ACLU of Indiana’s legal director, said after the hearing.
During the hearing, however, Falk expressed concerns that conditions for the majority of seriously mentally ill prisoners held in segregation have not changed since Pratt’s ruling.
Hanks admitted that, for many mentally ill prisoners held in those units, conditions and treatment have not improved.
Pratt asked DOC officials to provide her an update on the project in 90 days. She also requested a tour of the facilities at Pendleton.
At this time, the judge said, she sees no need to appoint a federal overseer to monitor the department’s progress toward compliance with her order.
“It does appear you are making progress,” Pratt said.
But, she warned, the department cannot continue to subject prisoners to cruel and unusual punishment.
The advocates of the mentally ill have warned the DOC about this for twenty years!
From the Indianapolis Star:
Indiana prison agency plans to centralize seriously mentally ill, add staff and programs
The Indiana Department of Correction will add staff and increase treatment programs for seriously mentally ill inmates at a new facility that will be open by January, agency officials told a federal judge Wednesday.
Details about the DOC’s plans for dealing with mentally ill prisoners placed in segregation for disciplinary or safety reasons came during a status hearing called by U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt.
The judge ruled in December that “mentally ill prisoners within the IDOC segregation units are not receiving adequate mental health care in terms of scope, intensity and duration,” and ordered the department to devise a plan to correct the shortcomings.
The judge’s ruling came after the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services Commission and a group of inmates. Pratt found that conditions endured by seriously mentally ill prisoners held in segregation units constituted “cruel and unusual punishment.” She also found that the DOC was aware of concerns about its treatment of mentally ill prisoners and “has been deliberately indifferent,” contributing to the suicides of at least 11 mentally ill inmates held in segregation units from 2007 through July 2011.
The new plan will eliminate segregation units — where prisoners often spend 23 hours a day locked in isolation — at state prisons. Instead, the roughly 400 seriously mentally ill inmates who require segregation will be grouped in a remodeled section of the Pendleton Correctional Facility.
In addition to the consolidation, DOC will add custody and treatment staff, said Craig Hanks, the agency’s executive director for mental health and special populations. Prisoners also will spend less time in isolation, he said.
No cost estimate is available for the changes, said DOC Chief Financial Officer Andrew Pritchard.
“This is a really ambitious plan, and it sounds like we’re making progress,” Ken Falk, the ACLU of Indiana’s legal director, said after the hearing.
During the hearing, however, Falk expressed concerns that conditions for the majority of seriously mentally ill prisoners held in segregation have not changed since Pratt’s ruling.
Hanks admitted that, for many mentally ill prisoners held in those units, conditions and treatment have not improved.
Pratt asked DOC officials to provide her an update on the project in 90 days. She also requested a tour of the facilities at Pendleton.
At this time, the judge said, she sees no need to appoint a federal overseer to monitor the department’s progress toward compliance with her order.
“It does appear you are making progress,” Pratt said.
But, she warned, the department cannot continue to subject prisoners to cruel and unusual punishment.
