While the mentally ill do need access to professional treatment and a continuum of care, just like everyone else, they also need socialization and a sense of community. We tend to avoid these individuals due to fear, stigma or indifference. Out of sight, out of mind. Remember, behind all the horrific headlines, on both sides, are individuals with real names, faces, and family members who love them.

Dorothea Dix (1802-1887) fought to have those with mental illness transferred from jails to hospitals. BeBe Moore Campbell (1950-2006) fought for disability rights as a civil right. Today, in the 21st Century, we still consider mental illness as a character flaw rather than a legitimate health issue. One in four people who are arrested have a diagnosed mental illness and many wait months, if not years for a hospital bed.

Today, in America, the county jails remain our largest institutions for housing those battling with mental illness.