Sarah Stillman

You know, I talked to this one professor, Craig Haney, who's an expert on these things across many decades. And he does a lot of jail visits. And he said, look, you have to imagine that even as a healthy person, he goes into many of these solitary cells and instantaneously gets overwhelmed by the despair of it. And so you can imagine if you already have a preexisting mental health issue, you're

You know, I talked to this one professor, Craig Haney, who's an expert on these things across many decades. And he does a lot of jail visits. And he said, look, you have to imagine that even as a healthy person, he goes into many of these solitary cells and instantaneously gets overwhelmed by the despair of it. And so you can imagine if you already have a preexisting mental health issue, you're

that it could be a place where you might cease to have any hope and any will. And that can sometimes include the will to want to take care of yourself and want to eat and to drink.

that it could be a place where you might cease to have any hope and any will. And that can sometimes include the will to want to take care of yourself and want to eat and to drink.

that it could be a place where you might cease to have any hope and any will. And that can sometimes include the will to want to take care of yourself and want to eat and to drink.

Well, you know, it's interesting to me. I was looking back the other day at the original email they'd written me to pitch me on this story.

Well, you know, it's interesting to me. I was looking back the other day at the original email they'd written me to pitch me on this story.

Well, you know, it's interesting to me. I was looking back the other day at the original email they'd written me to pitch me on this story.

And I realized they'd actually pitched it as a story about how many people are deprived of their right to get a hearing before a judge simply because they're actually being detained, often because they're being criminalized for being homeless or because they're being criminalized for a mental health issue. And then they're not being treated.

And I realized they'd actually pitched it as a story about how many people are deprived of their right to get a hearing before a judge simply because they're actually being detained, often because they're being criminalized for being homeless or because they're being criminalized for a mental health issue. And then they're not being treated.

And I realized they'd actually pitched it as a story about how many people are deprived of their right to get a hearing before a judge simply because they're actually being detained, often because they're being criminalized for being homeless or because they're being criminalized for a mental health issue. And then they're not being treated.

And so they're decompensating and being in a situation where the jailers then say they can't bring them to court because they're not mentally well enough. So it's this weird paradox where people are falling into this bizarre legal black hole and not having their right to go to trial or go to a hearing with a judge. So that's how it was actually brought to me.

And so they're decompensating and being in a situation where the jailers then say they can't bring them to court because they're not mentally well enough. So it's this weird paradox where people are falling into this bizarre legal black hole and not having their right to go to trial or go to a hearing with a judge. So that's how it was actually brought to me.

And so they're decompensating and being in a situation where the jailers then say they can't bring them to court because they're not mentally well enough. So it's this weird paradox where people are falling into this bizarre legal black hole and not having their right to go to trial or go to a hearing with a judge. So that's how it was actually brought to me.

And at the end, they mentioned, you know, and she starved to death. And to me, of course, my eyes popped out and I said, OK, she's starved? Like that was just was shocking to me. So I thought, OK, yeah, I'll look into this. And I thought I'd just write a short piece about Mary. And that was my intention. But then I started digging and found another case like that and then another case.

And at the end, they mentioned, you know, and she starved to death. And to me, of course, my eyes popped out and I said, OK, she's starved? Like that was just was shocking to me. So I thought, OK, yeah, I'll look into this. And I thought I'd just write a short piece about Mary. And that was my intention. But then I started digging and found another case like that and then another case.

And at the end, they mentioned, you know, and she starved to death. And to me, of course, my eyes popped out and I said, OK, she's starved? Like that was just was shocking to me. So I thought, OK, yeah, I'll look into this. And I thought I'd just write a short piece about Mary. And that was my intention. But then I started digging and found another case like that and then another case.

And it turned out that firm alone had actually taken on a bunch of starvation and dehydration death cases. So, yeah, that was a complete shock to me that there were so many cases to uncover. So many more I still haven't uncovered.

And it turned out that firm alone had actually taken on a bunch of starvation and dehydration death cases. So, yeah, that was a complete shock to me that there were so many cases to uncover. So many more I still haven't uncovered.

And it turned out that firm alone had actually taken on a bunch of starvation and dehydration death cases. So, yeah, that was a complete shock to me that there were so many cases to uncover. So many more I still haven't uncovered.