Treatment is needed for mentally ill Iowans

More people are in need of mental health services than ever before. We had inadequate funding 20 years ago but every year the budget has been cut drastically over the last few years. Institutions are being closed all over the state. The ones that would have benefitted from this care are now on the streets or are in prison because they didn't get help when they needed it, so their conditions got so bad they committed crimes and got sent to prison. I understand that an astounding 50 percent of Iowas incarcerated are mentally ill.

An example is Michelle Kehoe. She couldn't afford her medication, so she didn't take it or take the right kind or dosage, and ended up killing one of her sons during a psychotic episode and was charged with murder and sent to prison for life.

The funding cuts are basically a death sentence for Iowa's mentally ill.

It has been proven that the mentally ill when treated are productive, well-behaved citizens!

Ten percent of us are mentally ill. That's a higher percentage than a lot of other illnesses. People with these other illnesses can get treatment. Why shouldn't the mentally ill?

Diane Pessagno

Cedar Rapids