In a scathing editorial in today’s Houston Chronicle (Tues. Sept. 25, 2012, the editor urged the Houston Police Department to undergo more training in the handling of suspects with mental illness. Referring to a tragic accident where a police officer shot an unarmed double amputee in a wheelchair who also had mental health issues who
Dr. Andrews sent me these pictures as a supplement to her article on Leroy Colombo. I hope you enjoyed this brief photo-essay. The article by Dr. Andrews can be found at http://deafinprison.wordpress.com/2012/09/13/hero-of-galveston-island-the-legacy-of-leroy-colombo-1905-1972/
Shawn Francisco Vigil, died in prison. He was not provided an interpreter during the medical/psychological intake process, was placed in isolation and committed suicide. Below, the link to the Denver Post‘s coverage: http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_21565502/denver-settles-city-deaf-man-who-died-jail Jail officials had housed Vigil in a special unit away from the general population and failed to do any “meaningful analysis of
Individuals who are coping with mental Illness are in need of treatment not incarceration and isolation. Isolation can lead to suicide.That is what happened to William Goetzee, Coast Guard officer who was locked up and not properly supervised. He committed suicide in a New Orleans prison. Among the areas that the Justice Department has focused
Here is another deaf athlete (similar to Dummy Hoy who David wrote about) who our readers may not be familiar with–Leroy Colombo, a deaf lifeguard of Galveston, Texas. Leroy Colombo, best known on Galveston Island for his swimming prowess, was a gifted athlete, an indefatigable lifeguard, and an admired humanitarian who saved 1,000 lives
In a case involving Juan Garcia who at age 15 was found guilty and is serving 99 years for the murder of Jesus Veliz (age 22) that appeared in the Houston Chronicle, Sunday, September 9, 2012, p. 1, A1, A12-13), reporter Claudia Feldman analyzed Texas’ “broken program” for juvenile offenders. She states that Juan Garcia
I wrote this description from a videotape, I was asked to review in a court case involving a lady deaf inmate in a prison in the western part of the U.S. She Smiles And Nods She stood in the small room alone shackled in chains from the top of her ankles to a metal black
In this morning’s Houston Chronicle (Friday, Sept 7, 2012, B8), the editor describes an innovative and humane program that has been implemented by the Harris County Jail. The editor reports that the Harris County Jail has become a “de facto mental hospital” as “almost 25% of its inmates, many of them non-violent, suffer from mental
The law firm Fox & Robertson has published information on the Ulibarri v. City and County of Denver. This class action lawsuit challenges accommodations for deaf and diabetic inmates in the custody of the Denver Police Department and the Denver County Jail. http://www.foxrob.com/current-cases/ulibarri-v-city-and-county-of-denver/ On the website are documents which may be of interest to other
The majority of deaf adults cannot read the jail/prison medical/intake form without the aid of a certified sign language interpreter. However, rarely do jails and prison provide deaf inmates with interpreters. This can and does result in human tragedy. The medical/psychological intake form is a one-page form that is given to the inmate during the
