How can i convince the jail house personel to get my mentally ill son seen at a mental hospital?

Kara

New member
my son has paranoid schizophrenia and has been charged with several charges. I am concerned about the charges but at the very moment I am extremelyy concerned about his well being and safety. he refuses his medication and food because he thinks it is poison. he thinks everyone is trying to kill him. he stopped his medication 3 weeks ago but the laws are such that because he is 20 years old i cannot do anything to get him help. he has to agree to go back to the hospital or be taken by law enforcement. i continue to talk with the personel but they say they cannot force the medication and if he gets hungry enough he will eat. i have not heard from him now in over 36 hours. last i heard from him he was in a cell with 14 other men and he told me that they are talking about him and planning to shoot him would i please come help him. his bond is too high for me to go get him. his court arraignment is nov. 18. does anyone know of an advocacy group or any organazation that might would or could help me? i live in west tennessee. my son is 20 and has been sick for over 2 years with numerous hospitals stays for his mental illness. thank you for any suggestions.The problem with obtaining his medical history is he is 20 and i have no rights to obtain that stuff. when he goes to court on the 18th of nov, i am hoping he will get a public defender but i am still trying to find someone who will allow me to make payments for their services in defending my son. he is charged with serious charges but i will say thanks be to God no one was hurt but it is a very serious matter. 3 counts of agravated assault with a weapon. 2 counts of reckless endangerment with a weapon and possesion of a weapon with intent to go armed. he pulled a loaded rifle on 5 people that was harrassing him, then he drove to the sherriffs dept and reported people was following him trying to kill him. the 5 people showed up and told the police my son puuled a rifle on them. he was arrested after he told the rifle was loaded in his truck and he also had bullets in his pockets. thats all i know. i cannot even get a police report. i just know he needs to be back in the hospitalI have talked with the judge about 4 months ago about getting custody of my son because of his mental illness and him refusing medication and treatment. once the hospital gets him back on the medication they always release him and never speak to me.so i went to the judge and was told i would have to wait until my son was completly unable to care for himself. I feel he has been this way even before the actual diagnoses of paranoid schizophrenia but it is hard to prove in court. I do have custody of his 10 month old little girl since the day she was born, thats why i quit my job so i could care for her.and i have lost so much to this illness with my precious son but i continue to be strong and try to support him but i am extremely afraid for his safety and well being in a jail house setting. he has hallucinations. at home he thinks people are shooting him through the floors, walls and so on. i had to rent him a place to live due to the baby living here. I do not know where to turn anymo
 

Trace

New member
If you can provide proof that he has a mental illness then you can present it to the judge and he'll have him put into a hospital. But you'll have to provide a good amount of proof.
 

Rachel

New member
I don't have the answer , I just wanted to drop in to tell you I hope and pray you get help for your son. Maybe you can ask the doctors who were treating him or any other psychiatrist online....or maybe legal aid can refer you to someone who can help.
 

Maryjane

New member
Does he have an attorney? If not, get him a court-appointed one and ask him or her to petition the court to have his mental health evaluated. This may even result in his transfer to a secure hospital where he can be cared for by medical personnel.
 

Paytons Mommy

New member
This sickens me, because he should have never been placed in a jail with those kind of mental issues to begin with. I am suprised a judge would even allow this. Don't these people realize that he is obviously not in his right mind to give consent to go to a mental facility. Do you have power of attorney over him? I would get it, since he can't make rational decisions at this time. Did you seek legal council about this? I know that is'nt cheap, but you may find the answers through a public defender. I personally don't know of any groups that handle these kinds of issues, but, there is a branch of public defenders that specifically handle mental health cases. Good luck, I hope it all works out for you and your son.
 
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