Schram: Connecting the dots from money to mental illness
It's not hard to connect the dots.
Violence at Western State Hospital has, increasingly, become the norm.
Last year there were more than 300 incidents of patients attacking members of the hospital staff; add that to the hundreds of patient-on-patient attacks.
Two months ago, one patient killed another patient.
Last month a doctor and a pair of nurses were assaulted by a patient.
One hospital counselor, who also serves as a union president, says state budget issues have created serious understaffing issues, with close to 100 positions left vacated.
Which brings us to Isaac Zamora.
Back in 2008, Zamora killed six people, including a sheriff's deputy.
He wounded four others.
He pleaded insanity to two of those murders; guilty to the other four.
His plea bargain keeps him at Western State until a court orders him moved to prison.
The state tried for that move this week, saying his mental health issues can be better handled in prison.
A judge said no way.
Is it savvy or cynical to suggest this attempted move was more about money than mental illness?
Might it be cheaper to dispose of someone by removing him from a cash-strapped, understaffed mental hospital, and dump them into prison?
I think it's easy to connect the dots.
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Have something to say to Ken? Login or signup below to post a comment. Just be sure to read the rules and keep things civil. You can also e-mail him at kenschram@komo4news.com. You can also hook up with Ken on Facebook.
Violence at Western State Hospital has, increasingly, become the norm.
Last year there were more than 300 incidents of patients attacking members of the hospital staff; add that to the hundreds of patient-on-patient attacks.
Two months ago, one patient killed another patient.
Last month a doctor and a pair of nurses were assaulted by a patient.
One hospital counselor, who also serves as a union president, says state budget issues have created serious understaffing issues, with close to 100 positions left vacated.
Which brings us to Isaac Zamora.
Back in 2008, Zamora killed six people, including a sheriff's deputy.
He wounded four others.
He pleaded insanity to two of those murders; guilty to the other four.
His plea bargain keeps him at Western State until a court orders him moved to prison.
The state tried for that move this week, saying his mental health issues can be better handled in prison.
A judge said no way.
Is it savvy or cynical to suggest this attempted move was more about money than mental illness?
Might it be cheaper to dispose of someone by removing him from a cash-strapped, understaffed mental hospital, and dump them into prison?
I think it's easy to connect the dots.
-----
Have something to say to Ken? Login or signup below to post a comment. Just be sure to read the rules and keep things civil. You can also e-mail him at kenschram@komo4news.com. You can also hook up with Ken on Facebook.
