Who is left to do the right thing?
William Demegall got 25 to life for the stabbing, bludgeoning and burning of 56-year-old George Mancini. His severe mental illness, though acknowleged by the court, was not seen as a factor in sentencing.
Despite pleas by members of the local NAMI, the judge gave Demegall the maximum sentence possible.
Once again, we turn to the prison system as the last hope for treatment. As the editors of the local paper noted in an editorial today:
"It is now up to the New York State Department of Corrections to be the institution, at last, to do the right thing in this case and assign Mr. Demagall to a facility that can properly treat mental illness." [Berkshire Eagle, March 23, 2007]
Despite pleas by members of the local NAMI, the judge gave Demegall the maximum sentence possible.
Once again, we turn to the prison system as the last hope for treatment. As the editors of the local paper noted in an editorial today:
"It is now up to the New York State Department of Corrections to be the institution, at last, to do the right thing in this case and assign Mr. Demagall to a facility that can properly treat mental illness." [Berkshire Eagle, March 23, 2007]
Labels: insanity defense, Massachusetts, NAMI, New York, prison, violence
posted by Treatment Advocacy Center at 3:46 PM
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