As a member of Congress I will be vigilant in seeking better ways to preserve and enhance public safety, including the dangerous linkage between guns and mental illness. Too often these have come together with tragic consequences resulting in loss of life.
I strongly support both the Second Amendment right to bear arms, and the enforcement of current gun laws. Individuals with a documented history of mental illness, who are a potential danger to themselves or others, should be prevented from obtaining guns. But regrettably, and often with horrific ramifications, guns somehow still manage to be obtained by mentally unstable individuals. New innovations in data systems need to be utilized to their fullest potential to assure guns are not sold to people with a history of mental illness.
John Hinkley’s diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, and attack on President Reagan, is a perfect example. He will never be “cured” in the traditional sense. Without taking the necessary combination of medications Hinkley would begin a backward slide into delusions, and dangerous behavior.
No matter the offense, after the formal determination of mental illness traditional post-release parole is not applicable because no “crime” has been committed. Another type of win-win option is needed to offer patient stability, and safety for society. Within the structured environment of mental hospitals physicians routinely achieve modern medical miracles for individuals who would otherwise be dangerous to themselves or others. However after release, a continuing problem is how to assure that the patient continues taking the proper combination of medications (perhaps for the rest of their life) in the necessary manner and regularity.
Thus, and for all the above mentioned reasons, I was pleased to learn about certain provisions Congress included within the Crime Control Act of 1984, P. L. 98-473. This legislation offers a unique and reasonable safety net to physicians and federal judges. Although it has been in effect for 30 years, it serves as a basis for updating and improving our gun laws which badly need to enhance restrictions on mentally ill patients. This law can also be used as a basis for closing gun sale loopholes.
Release of someone who is a potential danger to themselves or others is often considered when the patient is mentally stable and functional because of medications. Federal judges who are asked to rule on release can require, as a condition of approval, that a “prescription of post-release care, tailored to the needs of the individual” be developed by physicians and approved by the court. This unique prescription follows the individual into society and, if violated, police are notified to locate and return the individual to the appropriate treatment facility.
Use of this “prescription based” release option can save lives! I encourage its continuing and expanded use in federal cases, and adoption by state legislatures.
Gwendolyn Beck
(703) 656-6007
kb@gwendolynbeck.com
P.O. Box 705, Arlington, VA 22216
Gwendolyn Beck for Congress 