Prison Reform

Why Did a Man Starve to Death in an Arkansas Jail?

Tana Ganeva / Truthdig Jan 16, 2023 Because of multiple broken systems. Dig deeper ( 14 Min. Read )

A Crash Course on How to Handle Homelessness

By Joel Bellman Nov 15, 2019 Here’s why previous efforts haven’t worked, and what to do instead, from an education gleaned in the streets of Los Angeles. Dig deeper ( 12 Min. Read )

Mind-Altering, Ketamine-Like Drug OK’d for Severe Depression

MATTHEW PERRONE / The Associated Press Mar 5, 2019 A medication related to the club drug Special K wins U.S. approval for patients with the hard-to-treat mood disorder. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Demonic Possession in a Chinese Family

Eunice Wong / Truthdig Nov 9, 2018 Lindsay Wong's debut memoir, "The Woo-Woo," is a hilarious and harrowing account of her childhood in a family with severe mental illness. Dig deeper ( 9 Min. Read )

Florida Suspect Legally Bought Guns Despite Mental Illness

MICHAEL BIESECKER and DAVID McFADDEN / The Associated Press Aug 28, 2018 The suspected killer at a video game tournament had been twice hospitalized in psychiatric facilities, but authorities say he was able to legally purchase the two handguns he carried at the time of the attack. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

The Legacy of the Anti-Psychiatry Movement

Julian Vigo / Truthdig May 23, 2018 The push to end involuntary confinement four decades ago had unintended consequences that are being paid today by those forced to live with untreated mental illness. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )

Florida Lawmakers Consider Gun Proposals

The Associated Press Feb 26, 2018 The Florida Senate Rules Committee has voted 9-4 for a bill that would raise the age to purchase rifles from 18 to 21 and create a three-day waiting period to buy the weapons. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )

Change Is Coming in the ‘BS’ National Debate on Gun Violence

Eric Ortiz / Truthdig Feb 19, 2018 Emma Gonzalez and other student survivors of the Stoneman Douglas shooting in Parkland, Fla., are leading the fight against lawmakers and the NRA. Dig deeper ( 9 Min. Read )

Warning Signs Weren’t Enough to Stop Suspect’s Gun Buy in Florida

RYAN J. FOLEY and DON THOMPSON / The Associated Press Feb 18, 2018 Only five states have laws allowing family, guardians or police to ask judges to temporarily strip gun rights from people showing signs of violence. Florida isn't one of them. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Guns Are the Issue, Not Mental Health

Eugene Robinson / Truthdig Feb 16, 2018 Countries around the world have disturbed individuals, but only the U.S. suffers routine mass shootings—because weapons of war are accessible. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Florida Governor Zeros In on the Mentally Ill

The Associated Press Feb 15, 2018 In the wake of a deadly high school shooting, Gov. Rick Scott vows to keep guns from the mentally ill, and Broward County's sheriff calls for giving law enforcement more power to detain people who make threats. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

‘On Contact’: Chris Hedges and Psychotherapist George Mallinckrodt on Jailing the Mentally Ill

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Oct 13, 2016 On this week’s episode of “On Contact,” the Truthdig columnist discusses the incarceration of America’s mentally ill with George Mallinckrodt, psychotherapist and author of "Getting Away With Murder." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )