by David Oaks, Director
      Support Coalition International

It can be tough working for human rights of people diagnosed with psychiatric disorders -- or "psychiatric survivors" as many of us  call ourselves. We call ourselves "psychiatric survivors" to remember  those who did not survive the forced electroshocks, the forced druggings, the back wards, the restraints, etc. 

One big breakthrough for the psychiatric survivor  liberation movement this last year has been with the disability rights movement. The disability movement has really helped embrace the "mental  disability" movement as never before.  

But what about the PRISON JUSTICE MOVEMENT? It's time -- past time -- to build more two-way bridges between the prison justice movement and the psychiatric survivor liberation movement.  

The psychiatric survivor movement originally came out of the same source as the prison justice movement, thirty years ago. In fact, psychiatric survivors would call themselves "psychiatric inmates" to emphasize that -- despite all the medical trappings -- they were essentially prisoners.  

Now, in the year 2000, I think one of the richest industries in the world is catching the prison justice movement flat footed. 

I'm talking about the psychiatric drug manufacturing industry. 

Front groups funded by the psychiatric drug industry (such as  National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) have some very compelling sounds bites about the prison system. NAMI says that mentally disturbed people are being inappropriately locked into prisons, and these are folks who should instead be getting "help" instead of simply incarceration.  

Sound good? 

The problem is, too many people are not used to popping the hood and looking inside this sound bite -- they are not  asking "what kind of help"?  

If the auto industry came up with a new transportation plan to "help" us, wouldn't we ask "what kind of help -- more highways or more bike lanes"? 

But when it comes to the psychiatric  system, people tend to be mystified. They usually don't ask tough questions such as "what kind  of help?" 

The kind of "help" people should receive is voluntary and that offers  a wide range of options, addressing the whole person. This kind of  "help" should be available to anyone caught in the prison system --  it's part of massively changing the entire prison system. 

No, what these front groups mean by "help" is primarily psychiatric drugs. Now, we're pro-choice about taking psychiatric drugs. But many people don't want to take these super-powerful psychiatric drugs like "neuroleptics." Even the newest versions can feel like hell and can cause brain damage, and even kill.  

Now, as you can see below, the USA Congress has just passed a law to institute "mental health courts." And so you'll see the prospects of people entering because of crimes related to recreational drugs....  and leaving with a court-ordered mandate to take super-powerful  corporate psychiatric drugs against their will, even while living out in the community in their own home. 

If you're living at home, and the government can force you to take extremely powerful neurotoxins against your will.... That amounts to  a "chemical prison." You are still in prison. Your home has been made into a prison. But the bars are made of forced pills and/or injections.  

Break the silence about chemical prisons, and the merger of the pharmaceutical and prison industries! 

Fight that corporate merger, by  uniting the prison justice and psychiatric survivor movements. 

Alert people that one of the most profitable industries in the world  -- psychiatric drug manufacturers -- are targeting a whole new market at taxpayer expense -- people who end up in the prison system. 

David Oaks, Director
Support Coalition International
http://www.MindFreedom.org
davidoaks@post.harvard.edu
Oct. 25, 2000