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Man accused of stealing $5 of food found dead in cell after 4 months in jail

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Politicshead

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A young man arrested by police in Portsmouth, Virginia, has been found dead in jail after spending almost four months behind bars without bail for stealing groceries worth $5.

Jamycheal Mitchell, who had mental health problems, was discovered lying on the floor of his cell by guards early last Wednesday, according to authorities. While his body is still awaiting an autopsy, senior prison officials said his death was not being treated as suspicious.

Mitchell’s family said they believed he starved to death after refusing meals and medication at the jail.

Young black man jailed since April for alleged $5 theft found dead in cell | US news | The Guardian

This is crazy. 4 months in jail without parole for stealing $5 of food? Left to starve to death in a jail cell.

What the hell is wrong with your justice system.
 
It's BROKEN.......severely broken. The sad part is that there is probably no fix in sight. And I hate to say it but, No one is going to care and/or think there is a problem until young white innocent men/boys start getting put in jail.
 
Chase said:
It's BROKEN.......severely broken. The sad part is that there is probably no fix in sight. And I hate to say it but, No one is going to care and/or think there is a problem until young white innocent men/boys start getting put in jail.
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What is this, a backdoor #BLM thread?
 
When you put this tragedy in perspective with all those Banksters who got away collectively with $bazillions nearly bankrupting the world economy in the process and yet did not spend a single second in a cell, you can only vomit your disgust!
 
Politicshead said:
A young man arrested by police in Portsmouth, Virginia, has been found dead in jail after spending almost four months behind bars without bail for stealing groceries worth $5.

Jamycheal Mitchell, who had mental health problems, was discovered lying on the floor of his cell by guards early last Wednesday, according to authorities. While his body is still awaiting an autopsy, senior prison officials said his death was not being treated as suspicious.

Mitchell’s family said they believed he starved to death after refusing meals and medication at the jail.

Young black man jailed since April for alleged $5 theft found dead in cell | US news | The Guardian

This is crazy. 4 months in jail without parole for stealing $5 of food? Left to starve to death in a jail cell.

What the hell is wrong with your justice system.
Click to expand...

Just to be clear, the terminology in your last sentences is not quite right. He hadn't even been found guilty, he was awaiting trial and didn't have bail. Parole is for people who've been convicted. Bail is posted in order to be out of jail while awaiting a trial.
 
This isnt about the prison system or about being held for a crime amounting to $5 in damages. This is about an individual who was declared mentally incompetent and ordered into psychiatric care and who has spent several months awaiting a bed in a psych facility. During those 4 months he refused to cooperate, was non-med compliant, and refused to provide jail officials family contact information.

Definitely damned if you do, damned if you dont scenario. Had they just released him and had he done something else, people would be upset that they had this guy and just let him go. The greatest culprit here is much more likely the reduced availability of secure psychiatric beds and the tendency to have 30% and more of their secure beds filled with sad pandas that have checked themselves into a secure hospital voluntarily and refuse to leave for an average of 8 days.
 
Summerwind said:
Just to be clear, the terminology in your last sentences is not quite right. He hadn't even been found guilty, he was awaiting trial and didn't have bail. Parole is for people who've been convicted. Bail is posted in order to be out of jail while awaiting a trial.
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He wasnt held because he couldnt post bail. He was held because he was declared mentally incompetent.
 
t4pi0k4 said:
When you put this tragedy in perspective with all those Banksters who got away collectively with $bazillions nearly bankrupting the world economy in the process and yet did not spend a single second in a cell, you can only vomit your disgust!
Click to expand...
When you make comments like this without actually reading what you are commenting on, you expose yourself.
 
VanceMack said:
This isnt about the prison system or about being held for a crime amounting to $5 in damages. This is about an individual who was declared mentally incompetent and ordered into psychiatric care and who has spent several months awaiting a bed in a psych facility. During those 4 months he refused to cooperate, was non-med compliant, and refused to provide jail officials family contact information.

Definitely damned if you do, damned if you dont scenario. Had they just released him and had he done something else, people would be upset that they had this guy and just let him go. The greatest culprit here is much more likely the reduced availability of secure psychiatric beds and the tendency to have 30% and more of their secure beds filled with sad pandas that have checked themselves into a secure hospital voluntarily and refuse to leave for an average of 8 days.
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The concept of holding a person in jail or otherwise for 4 months awaiting trial for $5 offense is nonetheless outrageous and a further embarrassment of our police, judicial, and penal industrial complex(es).
 
Summerwind said:
The concept of holding a person in jail or otherwise for 4 months awaiting trial for $5 offense is nonetheless outrageous and a further embarrassment of our police, judicial, and penal industrial complex(es).
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in this instance the outcome does not appear to have been their fault
the fellow committed the crime
the judge ruled him incompetent to stand trial
a bed for him at a mental hospital was not available
he would not disclose his family contacts
he would not eat
he would not take his meds

the inavailability of a bed in a mental health facility appears to be the circumstance that contributed to this man's death

maybe our money should be spent more on mental health facilities and less on prisons, if that is where the demand for beds exists
 
justabubba said:
in this instance the outcome does not appear to have been their fault
the fellow committed the crime
the judge ruled him incompetent to stand trial
a bed for him at a mental hospital was not available
he would not disclose his family contacts
he would not eat
he would not take his meds

the inavailability of a bed in a mental health facility appears to be the circumstance that contributed to this man's death

maybe our money should be spent more on mental health facilities and less on prisons, if that is where the demand for beds exists
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And any agency that didn't get immediate medical attention for such a person is nonetheless at issue. Sorry, four months starving and being without required medication for someone deemed incompetent (ie he can't be allowed to make the decision to refuse food and meds), isn't somehow a better thing even though you try to present it as such. And again all that over a $5 food theft.
 
Summerwind said:
The concept of holding a person in jail or otherwise for 4 months awaiting trial for $5 offense is nonetheless outrageous and a further embarrassment of our police, judicial, and penal industrial complex(es).
Click to expand...
He was declared not mental capable. They COULD NOT just release him and if they had people would be bleating about that. Geeeeezus. Its not about the $% charge or the cops, or the penal industrial complex. Thats just you trying to shoe horn this case into your righteous indignation over your cause and belief system.
 
Summerwind said:
And any agency that didn't get immediate medical attention for such a person is nonetheless at issue. Sorry, four months starving and being without required medication for someone deemed incompetent (ie he can't be allowed to make the decision to refuse food and meds), isn't somehow a better thing even though you try to present it as such. And again all that over a $5 food theft.
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the larceny charge is what got him before a judge to be found incompetent
had there been adequate mental health beds, he would have received the help he needed
but there were not
and he did not
 
justabubba said:
had there been adequate mental health beds, he would have received the help he needed
but there were not
and he did not
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When it become apparent that his health had deteriorated significantly, why couldn't transfer him to a general hospital to stabilise him while he waited for admission to a mental health facility? They just left him there.
 
If you can't do the time, don't do the crime while mentally incompetent.
 
justabubba said:
in this instance the outcome does not appear to have been their fault
the fellow committed the crime
the judge ruled him incompetent to stand trial
a bed for him at a mental hospital was not available
he would not disclose his family contacts
he would not eat
he would not take his meds

the inavailability of a bed in a mental health facility appears to be the circumstance that contributed to this man's death

maybe our money should be spent more on mental health facilities and less on prisons, if that is where the demand for beds exists
Click to expand...
Click to expand...



Tell that to those who want to lock so many non-violent offenders up and throw away the key.
 
This is the real debate... what would you do if you were ever starving ... my personal situationright now that I'm having is my wife moved to Tombstone Arizona to take care of her sick father six months ago from Illinois and left me behind. I came three months later when I was able to when I arrived here I found out that she had been sleeping with multiple guys not to mention she wasn't giving me the time of day now I'm stranded in Tombstone Arizona with no vehicle no friends I have no family alive and no way to receive or even ask for help because she has turned the entire town against me there are no resources around here no stores there's not even a stoplight in this townI will be evicted from my place to stay in a few days because I cannot afford to pay it I have absolutely no food or anyway to get any I've asked for help I've looked all over the Internet to try to find help Craigslist I don't have any possessions to sell I'm virtuallyinterposition that I cannot do anything to help myself legally what should I do steel like that man did is it okay if you're starving
 
VanceMack said:
This isnt about the prison system or about being held for a crime amounting to $5 in damages. This is about an individual who was declared mentally incompetent and ordered into psychiatric care and who has spent several months awaiting a bed in a psych facility. During those 4 months he refused to cooperate, was non-med compliant, and refused to provide jail officials family contact information.

Definitely damned if you do, damned if you dont scenario. Had they just released him and had he done something else, people would be upset that they had this guy and just let him go. The greatest culprit here is much more likely the reduced availability of secure psychiatric beds and the tendency to have 30% and more of their secure beds filled with sad pandas that have checked themselves into a secure hospital voluntarily and refuse to leave for an average of 8 days.
Click to expand...

IMO just like they're saying for cops...those in the prison systems need training for dealing with the mentally ill too. This reads like a situation that was handled very poorly, negligently.
 
justabubba said:
in this instance the outcome does not appear to have been their fault
the fellow committed the crime
the judge ruled him incompetent to stand trial
a bed for him at a mental hospital was not available
he would not disclose his family contacts
he would not eat
he would not take his meds

the inavailability of a bed in a mental health facility appears to be the circumstance that contributed to this man's death

maybe our money should be spent more on mental health facilities and less on prisons, if that is where the demand for beds exists
Click to expand...

Are you excusing their inability to deal with him not eating and not taking his meds? This is managed this in mental health facilities. It's not an inhuman feat.

As I just wrote...if you are going to knowingly lock up mentally ill people, then your staff needs to be trained on how to handle their needs properly. If they cant, then get the proper help for him/her.
 
Man's inhumanity to man. An old and enduring theme which plagues the human condition. The alleged petty their should have been hospitalised as soon as he began his hunger strike and the supervisors of the jail should face stern discipline or even criminal charges for their negligence.

Evilroddy.
 
VanceMack said:
This isnt about the prison system or about being held for a crime amounting to $5 in damages. This is about an individual who was declared mentally incompetent and ordered into psychiatric care and who has spent several months awaiting a bed in a psych facility. During those 4 months he refused to cooperate, was non-med compliant, and refused to provide jail officials family contact information.

Definitely damned if you do, damned if you dont scenario. Had they just released him and had he done something else, people would be upset that they had this guy and just let him go. The greatest culprit here is much more likely the reduced availability of secure psychiatric beds and the tendency to have 30% and more of their secure beds filled with sad pandas that have checked themselves into a secure hospital voluntarily and refuse to leave for an average of 8 days.
Click to expand...

I agree it is a no win situation.

The OP article also stated he had some prior run in with the law.
- 4 months in jail in 2010 for basically same charges petty larceny and trespassing.
- again in Jan 2012 for same crime. Spent a month in a State mental hospital.

The family admits he has mental problems and was on medication.

imo, the system may have failed, but so has the family. For those blaming the system. Should the "system" force feed and medicate this individual?
 
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