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Judge Orders Man Handcuffed to Post
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NOTE: The following article appeared in the NAMI Huntsville newsletter GRASSROOTS in April, 2003. By Ruth Carr, NAMI Huntsville President
On Wednesday, March 25th I received a call from Alabama NAMI President Ann Denbo. She informed me that deputies had handcuffed an involuntarily committed man to a post behind North Alabama Regional Hospital (NARH). This was done after the staff refused him admittance because all beds were occupied. The hospital is limited to 74 beds as part of the Wyatt Federal Court Order Settlement. Upon seeing the man tied up, staff photographed the scene and admitted the man to a bed in the hallway. The Department of Mental Health (DMH) was notified of these events.
The deputies stated that they had been ordered to handcuff the man to the post by Probate Judge Tommy Ragland. I spoke at length with Judge Ragland on Thursday and he explained he felt forced to do this to "make a point". At an earlier meeting between probate court judges and Commissioner Sawyer, Judge Ragland said that Sawyer said hospitals had to admit all committed patients. At the Thursday meeting, Associate Commissioner, Kim Ingram, of the DMH/MR Mental Illness Division, said Sawyer was misquoted--that she had said the Department was responsible for receiving patients, i.e., not any one particular DMH facility or hospital.
Judge Ragland stated that the patient had previously been admitted several times. The man was in trouble, having broken into a UAH building, and he had refused to take medication. Ragland said he felt there was no choice but to commit this very sick man for the protection of the community. He sent him to NARH with the order to handcuff him to the door if the hospital refused admission. He said, again, he felt forced to do this to make his point. I asked him why the deputies didn't just keep him in their vehicle until the hospital responded. He said he felt they would still be sitting there the next day. He took full responsibility, saying the deputies had just followed orders.
On Wednesday, April 2nd a meeting was held at the DMH/MR offices in Montgomery with Commissioner Sawyer, Judge Ragland and other probate court judges. Several Madison County officials were at the meeting as was Department executive staff and family advocates. Sawyer stated that everyone needed to be at the table to resolve problems. She informed the judges that when problems arise regarding admittance to
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Membership Meeting
Tuesday, June 10 7:00 PM
1713 6th Ave. South 2nd Floor, Birmingham
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The following "Letter to the Editor" was sent by Palmer Bell to all newspapers accessible at http://ww.usnpl.com/alnews.html --- about 50. It can be used as an example for a letter we should all send.
Dear Editor,
Kathy Sawyer, Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, has proposed the consolidation of the state's four residential facilities for individuals with mental retardation/developmental
disabilities. The plan calls for the closure of the facilities at Decatur (Wallace), Opelika (Tarwater) and Mobile/Daphne (Brewer). The 180+/- men and women currently living in those three facilities will be offered three options:
(1) They can continue to live in a large state-run institution by moving to Partlow.
(2) They can move into a group home located in a community of their choosing.
(3) They can move into the home of a family member --- with the state providing the staff to adequately support that individual in the family home.
There is organized and vocal opposition to the Commissioner's plan. Much of it comes from family members who don't want their loved ones to move from Decatur or Wetumpka or Daphne to Tuscaloosa. They complain that it would be difficult to get to Tuscaloosa to visit their family |
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