密歇根新闻广播 密歇根将精神疾病合法化

 

For many years I've admired Milton Mack, who is about as authentic¹ a Detroiter as they come. Two of his ancestors arrived with Cadillac when they founded the city in July 1701.

I don't know how long it was before those French voyageurs built their first prison stockade². But today, Michigan has tens of thousands of people in prison, which costs us almost $2 billion a year. Mack, who spent years as chief probate judge in Wayne County, has studied our prison system for years and made recommendations for improving it.

I became convinced long ago that if we listened to him, we'd have fewer people in prison, many would get better treatment, and the state would save vast amounts of money. The problem is essentially³ this: Michigan closed most state mental hospitals in the 1990s.

Without treatment, many folks ended up behind bars. As a report from the Sentencing Project observed, "Our criminal justice system has become a revolving⁴ door for persons with mental illness … cycling through the system again and again at great cost."

Mack is now Michigan's chief state court administrator⁵, and he has just published a new report: "Decriminalizing Mental Illness: Fixing a Broken System," for the Conference of State Court Administrators⁶.

His report lays out today's reality in stark⁷ detail. In terms of treating mental illness, we've taken several steps backwards⁸ in this country, and perhaps especially in Michigan. Instead of treating the mentally ill, we lock them in prisons where the cost of confining them is terrifically expensive and few get proper care. Ironically, Mack told me, not only would it be better to transfer them to hospitals instead, many wouldn't need to be institutionalized if they were in a program to make sure they stayed on their medication.

As his report notes, "In Michigan, although the total number of prisoners is declining, the number with serious mental illness has increased 14 percent since 2012." Today, almost a quarter of our total prison population consists of seriously mentally ill prisoners.

While other inmates⁹ cost the taxpayers¹⁰ an average of $35,000 a year, those with severe mental illness cost more than $95,000. By contrast, know what the state spends on adults who are seriously mentally ill but not behind bars? Less than $6,000 a year.

Mentally ill prisoners serve longer sentences and get into more trouble in prison because they are often unable to understand the rules. They are also far more likely to end up back in prison after being released, in a classic lose-lose situation for all.

Mack's report provides the outline for a better path. He and his collaborators, including his wife Laura Mack, a Wayne County District Judge, recommend a five-point method of evaluating mentally ill people in the criminal justice system. Its goal is to establish "diversion programs to keep people with serious mental illness in the community," instead of in jail, whenever possible.

When they are incarcerated¹¹, it would provide constitutionally adequate institutional services and establish re-entry transition programs when they are released.

Judge Mack's report is barely 20 pages long, and it should be required reading for every lawmaker and part of every gubernatorial candidate's platform. After all, a program that would save us money and keep us safer would seem the best political strategy of all.

Jack¹² Lessenberry is Michigan Radio's Senior Political Analyst¹³. Views expressed in his essays are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Michigan Radio, its management or the station licensee, The University of Michigan.

1 authentic   

a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的

参考例句：

• This is an authentic news report. We can depend on it. 这是篇可靠的新闻报道, 我们相信它。
• Autumn is also the authentic season of renewal. 秋天才是真正的除旧布新的季节。

2 stockade   

n.栅栏，围栏；v.用栅栏防护

参考例句：

• I had not gone a hundred yards when I reached the stockade.我跑了不到一百码，就到了栅栏前。
• A heavy stockade around the cabin protected the pioneer from attack.小屋周围的厚厚的栅栏保护拓荒者免受攻击。

3 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

4 revolving   

adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想

参考例句：

• The theatre has a revolving stage. 剧院有一个旋转舞台。
• The company became a revolving-door workplace. 这家公司成了工作的中转站。

5 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

6 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

7 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

8 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。

9 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 taxpayers   

纳税人，纳税的机构( taxpayer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Finance for education comes from taxpayers. 教育经费来自纳税人。
• She was declaiming against the waste of the taxpayers' money. 她慷慨陈词猛烈抨击对纳税人金钱的浪费。

11 incarcerated   

钳闭的

参考例句：

• They were incarcerated for the duration of the war. 战争期间，他们被关在狱中。 来自辞典例句
• I don't want to worry them by being incarcerated. 我不想让他们知道我被拘禁的事情。 来自电影对白

12 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

13 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。