Force and disciplinary measures are being used against mentally ill prisoners in a punitive manner, according to the court appointed monitor of the mental health care of California inmates.
Dr. Edward Kaufman said prison officials continue “to use force similar to that employed at the time of trial 20 years ago.”
Kaufman is part of a monitoring team that has previously opposed the termination of court supervision of the mental health care of California inmates.
Kaufman said he watched videos where custody staff used force on six inmates to get them to take medication to treat their mental illness. Four of the inmates were under court supervision, and he was able to interview two of them. He said he was scheduled to interview a third inmate, but when he arrived at the institution, he was informed the inmate had been transferred to another facility.
Kaufman evaluated video recordings of inmates who were pepper sprayed