HUMAN RIGHTS ALERT:
New York State wins in court to give more forced electroshock to
"Simone D."
Simone D.: "Electroshock causes more pain! I suffer more from
shock treatment!"
How you can easily use the web to say "No!" to four key NY State
officials!
The State of New York won its battle in court to order even more
forced electroshock for Creedmoor Psychiatric Center inmate "Simone
D.," who has already had more than 200 electroshocks, also known as
electroconvulsive therapy or ECT.
Now it is time for the international court of public opinion to weigh
in!
Here is how you can easily use the web to speak out and say "No!" to
this overwhelming human rights abuse. It takes only a moment... about
as long as an electroshock.
The New York Court of Appeals recently upheld a lower court order
forcing Simone D., an inmate at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center, to
undergo 30 more electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatments against
her will.
Simone D.'s attorney Dennis Feld said, "Her battle cry has been
muffled by her being primarily a Spanish language speaker in a unit
where no one except her MHLS on-site attorney speaks Spanish."
Court records reveal that when approached by the State clinicians for
her to submit to more electroshock, Simone stated clearly enough in
Spanish that, "Electroshock causes more pain! I suffer more from
shock treatment!"
New York State's Office of Mental Health (OMH) has a long-standing
policy of vigorously pursuing legal action to force ECT on unwilling
people whom it determines are not capable of making their own
decisions. Interestingly, the capacity of people who agree to ECT is
never called into question.
To read two updates from Simone D's attorney Dennis Feld about her
court hearings go here:
http://www.mindfreedom.org/kb
http://www.mindfreedom.org/kb
It's time for us all to speak up and demand that New York State end
this appalling, inhumane practice!
It just takes a moment to use e-mail to contact the below four New
York State officials! If you can also phone or write that is helpful,
but at least e-mail them!
Let New York State officials know that forced ECT is wrong and must
be stopped!
A draft sample message is included below, though using your own words
and personal experiences are encouraged. Please be civil but firm.
Please contact these New York State officials immediately!
** Gov. Eliot Spitzer:
Complete the web form at: http://161.11.121.121/govemail Phone:
(518) 474-8390. Fax: 518-474-1513.
** Lieutenant Gov. David Paterson:
He is legally blind and has been charged by the Governor with dealing
with disability issues. Complete the web form at: http://
161.11.121.121/emailltgov Phone: (518) 474-4623. Fax: (518) 486-4170
** OMH Commissioner Michael Hogan:
Go to web form at: http://www.omh.state.ny.us
UPDATE: THE WEB FORM FOR COMMENTS TO COMMISSIONER HOGAN IS APPARENTLY
INOPERATIVE IF YOU GO THERE DIRECTLY. (The "submit" button is grayed
out.) You can get to an operative version of this form indirectly via
the small print "Web Site Administrator" link at the very bottom.
However it is recommended that you instead phone and fax during
business hours, and don't stop! Be civil, be firm, but ask how
Commissioner Hogan can claim to support empowerment and recovery
while leading President Bush's Commission on Mental Health, but now
his office is pushing more and more forced electroshock!
Let's make this into a phone campaign -- be civil, but don't stop!
Phone: (518) 474-4403 Fax: (518) 474-2149.
** Peter M. Rivera, Chair, New York State Assembly Standing
Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Developmental
Disabilities.
Email: riverap@assembly.state.ny.us Phone: (718) 931-2620. Write:
1973 Westchester Avenue; Bronx, NY 10462 USA.
~~~~~~~~~
Draft sample message - though your own words are best:
~~~~~~~~~
Dear ___________:
The New York Court of Appeals recently upheld a lower court
order forcing Simone D., an inmate at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center,
to undergo 30 more electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatments against
her will. Ms. D. has already been subjected to more than 200 ECT
sessions.
It is time for the State to reverse the New York Office of
Mental Health's long-standing policy of vigorously pursuing legal
action to force ECT on people who do not want this controversial
intervention. We believe it is time to revise the laws that allow
forced electroshock. ECT is of questionable efficacy, but it does
have well-documented serious side-effects effects, including
permanent memory loss. This memory loss can be so severe that people
may not recognize family members or be able to practice their
professions. This is an invasive irreversible intervention.
The World Health Organization has called for a ban of
involuntary electroshock. It is time that New York ends such shameful
practices.
New York Office of Mental Health Commissioner Michael Hogan
chaired the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health,
which promoted the idea that people with psychiatric disabilities
must direct their own care in order for recovery to be possible. This
stands in stark contradiction to OMH's zealous legal activities to
force ECT on those who do not want it.
We call on the State of New York to renounce this harmful
policy, and on the Governor to propose legislation that would end the
possibility of ECT being forced on any citizen.
Sincerely,
[Your name & address.]
~~~~~~~~~
This alert is also on the MindFreedom web site with hyperlinks to the
four NY officials along with additional information:
http://www.mindfreedom.org/kb
or use:
http://tinyurl.com/262xma
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
URGENT: Please act IMMEDIATELY. Then FORWARD this alert to all
appropriate places on and off the Internet! Add a brief personal note
that you have acted, and you encourage your friends, colleagues and
relatives to act too!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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http://www.mindfreedom.org
Don't see an important news item? Submit it to news@mindfreedom.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~
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