Arizona is home to America’s cruelest most brutal prison system. Seriously mentally ill (SMI) prisoners are often locked down in solitary – or placed in general population where they are taunted and abused by other criminals, including gang members.
I just interviewed a man with serious mental illness (SMI) , assigned to the Capitol Clinic, People of Color Network who described the hell he went through while during time in and out of Arizona prisons and the Maricopa County Jail system.
Arizona is recognized as having the cruelest prison system in America. And Sheriff Joe Arpaio prides himself on the fact he runs America’s toughest jail system.
He agreed to talk to me on the condition that I don’t use his name – something I agreed to do.
He fears that he may be retaliated against or punished in some way at the clinic where he goes or by the People of Color Network, Magellan or officials in the State of Arizona and police.
He said that he spend a lot of time while incarcerated in “solitary confinement” while serving out a sentence for domestic assault and drug charges. Under lock down and restraints- for “acting out”, he said.
In many of these cases he was frustrated that he was not getting his anti-psychotic medication on time or being dosed properly.
He was also targeted by other inmates repeatedly who recognized the fact he had schizophrenia and was bipolar to the max. “It didn’t take much”, he said “for inmates to trigger me.”
“Prisoners in the jails and prison system would often taunt and tease him”, he suggested. “Or goat him in certain situations and make fun of him for hearing and responding to voices in his head.”
He indicated “these voices torment me – even today.” “They command me to hurt people and hurt myself…” I should mention that he does have the where with all to know he needs his medications to survive and help control the voices inside his head, who he describes as his “demons.”
Today he languishes on the street near 15th avenue and Van Buren roaming around endlessly all day and night in the neighborhood comprised mostly low income working poor immigrants who violated American immigration policy over the last two decades. To the point that the demographics of this entire area has changed and white people and blacks are a minority here.
He does go into his assigned clinic at the Capitol Center for infrequent doctor appointments (once every 2-3 months?). But has no idea what his next doctor appoint is?
When asked why he doesn’t go to clinic for housing help and assistance – he stated he done all that. He said his case managers routinely ignore him.
He indicated that he hasn’t talked to his case manager in person for over 3 months ago? When queried on that point he said he didn’t know his case managers name – and only deals with “blue dot” personnel at the clinic, when he goes in…
Asked why he is not on food stamp assistance – he replied because “the benefits specialist won’t see him at the Capitol Clinic?”
When asked if he has sought out specialized help through the clinic for shelter services of any kind, like through C.A.S.S. (Central Arizona Shelter Services) – he was confused and unaware the clinic could even help him with that.
When asked about other issues and problems – he said he is constantly harassed by police – who herd him from place to place at night. When asked how he survives he said he eats food out of the garbage can…
When asked why he doesn’t go to C.A.S.S. anyway – he stated because they have adopted a restrictive closed campus rule – which forbids people from entering the Human Services Campus without proper ID. Which is true but they are supposed to allow people who present themselves as “homeless” to come in to seek out shelter services. This is often times not done for whatever reason.
He further indicated that he has been turned away for not having a C.A.S.S. ID card?
This man also has problems speaking and relating to people…in general.
When asked if I had permission to call CBI (Community Bridges) crisis response team to help him in his situation he said “hell no!”
Community Bridges, Inc. (CBI) is a private non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization in 1982 and has a 31 year history of providing comprehensive, medically integrated behavioral health programs which include prevention, education and treatment services using cutting edge, nationally recognized treatment models throughout Arizona. Despite their reputation – they are overburdened and don’t engage within the SMI community as much as they should really.
Today, CBIis one of the largest statewide providers offering fully integrated medical and behavioral health care in 14 communities in Maricopa, Pinal, Gila, Yuma, Navajo, Apache and Cochise Counties (source: http://communitybridgesaz.org/).
The reason for this was because he “feared being put on suicide watch, having his belongings and shoe laces taken away and being feed those gross uncooked cheese sandwiches and peanut butter sandwiches at the Avondale facility on 99th ave, which is where many mentally ill patients wind up who are in crisis- if they are not Baker acted by the police that is. He also feared being feed back into the Maricopa County jail or Arizona prison system – so he maintains what he calls a “low profile”, and avoids confrontations with the phoenix police – who can sometimes be brutal in their treatment of the seriously mentally ill. Reports of the police stopping persons for “trespassing on public sidewalks” or “sleeping in parks or n bus stops” are quite common. You can also be arrested for vagrancy in some areas or trespassing should they need or want a reason to harass you for the crime of being poor, being homeless or whatever. In many cases the police approach people with guns drawn or with Tasors at the ready – with green dot lasers pointers aimed at their chests.
I must admit those illness inducing sandwiches offered by CBI are very “barf-able” if I do say so myself.
He seems content to languish on the street at this point, which is very sad. He spends most of his day – searching for cigarette butts and faggots laying on the ground, and smoking them to satisfy his cravings for nicotine. For rolling paper he uses newspaper print. Which I tried to explain contains toxic ink.
A situation that is very disturbing to me.
Sadly the Capitol Center does not offer outreach services to its clients who otherwise “fall off the grid” so to speak, like this gentleman.
This man doesn’t have a phone, or address and can’t be reach in any way except via his clinic which he visits quite infrequently…
Why no one at the clinic itself has identified him as a special risk category – or assigned him a crisis navigator, peer support of some kind remains a mystery to me.
Staff members I talk to suggest that many of their chronically homeless clients – “prefer to live like that?”
I personally don’t by that “excuse” and scratch my head in bewilderment at the indifference of some staff members assigned to the Capitol Center in downtown Phoenix when they suggest such things?
The man is indicative of just how broken down the mental health care system is, and continues to be in Arizona.