Should it be illegal for the state to kill schizophrenics? People living with bipolar disorder? Veterans with PTSD? Capital punishment is facing scrutiny when it comes to the mentally ill.
Six states — Indiana, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia — have proposed legislation that would outlaw capital punishment for people with severe mental illness.
And I think they are on the right side of history.
The mentally ill, when having a psychotic episode, can be completely unaware of their actions or any consequences. They can be totally confused and/or detached from reality. If untreated, they can experience hallucinations.
It is a myth that mentally ill people are more prone to violence than the normies. In fact, the abounding majority of those who struggle with bipolar, depression, PTSD, schizophrenia, etc., are perfectly law-abiding citizens.
Jurors in are also much more likely to not understand mental illness, especially since the stigma against it remains high.
According to the American Bar Association: “Individuals with severe mental disorders or disabilities — present either at the time a capital crime is committed or as they are facing execution — should not be subject to capital punishment… the American justice system should treat those with mental disorders and disabilities differently.”
The legislation being considered in those six states has been endorsed by the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association, as well as faith-based groups.
An estimated one in ten death row offenders are veterans, who are likely to suffer from PTSD. At the very least, we owe it to our veterans to allow them to live out their own lives.
This is not to excuse any crime, but indefinitely locking up mentally ill criminals who are a danger to others is more humane than lethal injection or the electric chair, especially when the crime committed was done under the influence of psychosis, mental confusion, or hallucination.
