Recently the New Haven Register published a letter from a reader who called for the release of the mental health records of Adam Lanza. This call is very much in order and should be used to reinforce calls for Kendra’s Law in Connecticut, or some type of civil commitment law.
I understand that the state’s mental institutions have been closed, but the time has come to reopen them again due to the Sandy Hook School incident. We citizens of the state of Connecticut have a right to be protected from the actions of the mentally ill, and have a right to expect the state to treat these people in mental institutions, where they can get proper care.
Sixteen states have such laws on their books, and it is about time that Connecticut join them. These laws have been upheld as constitutional against legal challenges claiming that they violate the civil and human rights of the mentally ill. For more information, visit MentalIllnessPolicy.org and treatmentadvocacycenter.org.
Charles R. Shackford Jr. West Haven