[BwayDems] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- O’Donnell and Gunther Hold Hearing Examining the Experience of Mentally Ill Inmates

[Callie Wilson]

NEWS FROM ASSEMBLY MEMBER DANIEL O'DONNELL

Contact: Callie Wilson, 206-898-2918; callieewilson at gmail.com
245 W 104th Street, New York, NY 10025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

O'DONNELL AND GUNTHER HOLD HEARING EXAMINING THE EXPERIENCE OF MENTALLY ILL
INMATES

November 14, 2014 – Yesterday, Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell and
Assembly Member Aileen Gunther held a joint hearing to examine the
experience of the mentally ill in New York’s correctional system. The
hearing was structured to reflect the experience of a mentally ill inmate,
beginning with testimony from public defenders, then from those involved
with correctional facilities, and ending with statements from families and
organizations that facilitate reintegration into the community. At the
close of the hearing, Correction Committee Chair O’Donnell said:

"The bottom line is that a mentally ill inmate is fundamentally different
from other inmates, and must be dealt with in a wholly different manner. By
tracking a mentally ill individual’s path through the system, we can get a
better sense of how services are provided and whether there is a coherent
treatment plan for handing the mentally ill both before, during, and after
incarceration. I want to thank Assembly Member Gunther and the many
organizations and representatives we heard from today, and I look forward
to using the information we learned here to push for a system-wide shift
from punishing individuals for actions taken while mentally ill, to helping
treat those individuals before those actions occur in the first place."

Assembly Member Gunther, Chair of the Standing Committee on Mental Health,
added:

"Today was an important and timely conversation that I know we will
continue. I want to thank Assembly Member O’Donnell for co-chairing the
hearing with me and all my other colleagues who participated. The stories
we heard from families and advocates were truly heart-wrenching and shined
a light on what seems to be a pervasive issue that needs to be addressed by
all sides. Mental illness is an illness not unlike physical illness.
Individuals in the Corrections System need consistent access to treatment."

###

Assembly Member O’Donnell has represented the 69th Assembly District since
2003. His district includes Morningside Heights, Manhattan Valley, and
portions of the Upper West Side. He serves as the Chair of the Correction
Committee, and of the Codes Subcommittee on Criminal Procedure; and is a
member of the Education; Codes; Environmental Conservation; Judiciary;
Oversight, Analysis & Investigation; and Tourism, Arts & Sports Development
committees.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://pairlist8.pair.net/mailman/private/bwdupdates/attachments/20141114/e201bd3c/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: O'Donnell Gunther Hearing 111314.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 111126 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://pairlist8.pair.net/mailman/private/bwdupdates/attachments/20141114/e201bd3c/attachment-0001.pdf>