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We had problems with abuse in many institutions (schools, churches, nursing homes) but we didn't get rid of all those.

It would cost, but you can externally monitor and correct institutions if you have entirely separate people doing it.

Or - livestream everything and let the public monitor it. (Obviously this can't be done for various reasons, but we now have the technology to literally record it all.)



The other argument is that it seems fundamentally wrong to incarcerate someone against their will who isn't a danger to society.


Correct, but screaming at people on the street is a being danger to society. And the choice is: should that person be prison or mandatory treatment?


What if they just shuffle along mumbling to themselves, like 99% of them?


Everyone deserves safe housing, living among raving maniacs is not safe, ergo we need to house dangerous people like that separately. Ideally in a way that helps them the most.

Shuffling mumblers are not dangerous.


Right, which means it seems wrong to incarcerate them in a mental facility against their will. I'm assuming very few would willingly be incarcerated.

Maybe there's a way to house them in some kind of voluntary mental facility only for non-dangerous mentally ill people. They can come and go during the day. But at least they have a roof over their heads, someone to look after them, provide clean clothes, etc.

Feels like someone must have already tried this and none of the mentally ill homeless were interested.


I think we basically agree.

My position is: if you're a danger to yourself and society you should be coerced into receiving treatment (either in a prison or mental institution) if you are not you should receive housing and non-coercive treatment options through a publicly funded healthcare system.

This seems weirdly controversial though. Seems like people vehemently opposed one or the other half of the solution and we get the terrible situation we have now.




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