Institutions Observed

This book explains why the current practice of placing the mentally ill in secure institutions is outmoded and harmful, and why the assumptions made about mentally disordered people are frequently invalid. The author makes the case for "flexible" institutions which would offer resources to staff in local hospitals and residential accommodations to enable them to deal with periodic outbursts of dangerous behavior without transferring patients to a secure institution. He urges government and mental health professionals to consider the problems and to advance ideas for improvement.