Continence of first blog. On June 3,2009 I left the court room in a big rush to find Brittany so as to keep her out of jail on this all important day in her life.I was able to get her on her cell phone.I told her what kind of trouble she was in and because of her mental illness thinking she did not believe what I was trying to tell her.She new she had to go to Joshua's Graduation and was afraid to even go near the court after what the Judge had done to her the day before.I tried to explain to her that if she did not return to the court by 5Pm that day the police will come out to the house and arrest her about the time we were to go down for Joshua's Graduation celebration. Brittany would hot tell me were she was accused me of working with the court to get her in jail and all the other craze thinking that comes with this illness. This went on all morning call her on her cell phone she would keep hanging up on me.Finely about 1PM after I told her I give up she took her self to the court and filled out the court papers and the Judge dropped the warrant that day luckily.
We all made it to Joshua's Graduation and it made us both proud of him.Brittany's next court date was June 4.2009 she made it down there with out any problems. That day Brittany was given a new Mental health councilor one that is part of the Mental health court program.His office is located in Oregon City, Or real close to the court house his office is 50 miles round trip from were Brittany lives.On June 6, Brittany went to see him and find out what the next step would be in this Court Program. She came home that day all angry because this new counselor wanted her to drive down his office everyday so one of his staff could give her the medication the court wanted her to drive 50 miles everyday for as long as they tell her to do it. Brittany had been going over to a clinic in Sandy, OR about 6 miles away for about 3 years I said it would be better if they sent her over there everyday.I did not like her having to be driving that many miles everyday bad enough she has to drive over there for these court dates but those are not everyday.
On June 5th Brittany went down without a court date and sat in the Judge's court room until he would speak to her and asked if she could take the pills at the Sandy.OR clinic. The Judge told her she needed some more mental evaluation test and set her up for a court date June 8, everything seem to be going ok this week She went to her court date on Monday. I heard about no other court dates this week because no one will tell me about any of that unless I find paperwork around the house or can figure out how Brittany is interpreting what she was told at the court or other meetings she may be sent to.
Earler in the week I found out about court required meeting on Friday June 12th to meet with a MHC late in the day on Friday.When I went to work that morning I reminded Brittany to be at that meeting or the judge will sender her to jail again, she said that will never happen to her again. That night when I got home I asked her if she had gone to the meeting that day. She told me she tried to and when she arrived at the Sandy Clinic it was closed so she came home. This was around 7PM I asked her if she went to the right place she thought she had because this gal had seen her before at the Sandy Clinic before she got put in the Mental Court program.
I new she was in big trouble again just because I know how the Judge runs his program and a mistake like this will not matter to him.Program rules were broken. I asked Brittany to show me the paperwork telling her were she needed to be that Friday. It was in a office in Oregon City. So Brittany called the after hours number on the paperwork and left a message telling the MHC of the misunderstanding she had made.I also had Brittany call and set up a new appointment with this MHC which was done on Monday the 15th. I am not sure if Brittany had a court date for Monday the 15th because no one from the court will give me info about what she is doing in the program.
About 3Pm a MHC from the court program calling me asking were Brittany is because the Judge had issued a warrant for her arrest. I told him I did know I had been in Seattle all day last time I talk to her was when I left for work. He told me she needed to contact the court and turn her self in. I called Brittany told her what was going on with the Judge again. She did not believe me because she already took care of all that and had set up a new appointment time with Karen the MHC she was suppose to have seen last Friday. I still told her to contact the court any way. She kind of in her mental way said she would but still thought that she did not need to.
At 6PM Monday night I arrived home I asked her if she had taken care of the warrant at the court she told me no she did not call them.I told her she will be arrested that night because it was to late to contact to court.She still did not believe it because she had already contacted Karen the MHC about all this and solved all the problems. About 7:15 Pm that night 3 police cars showed up out here and took Brittany to jail on the warrant on June 15th 2009 she is still in jail today.
The next day I started calling her Attorney, her mental health counselor,no one would call me back so each night I would call the jail to make sure she was still there they would tell me a little about what was going on.She had 2 court dates after being taken to jail and each time I heard about a court date I figured that day she would be released from jail.Also from day one after being arrested Brittany has been sitting in jail on no bail.She is mentally ill not a criminal .
Then on Thursday June 18th I received a call from a court program MHC Brittany's new MHC and he said that the Judge has decided to send Brittany down to Salem to the Oregon Mental Health Hospital for some test and evaluation which should take a half a day to complete.I asked him when this was going to take place he told me he was not sure.Then 45 min after this call Brittany's Attorney called me and told me basically the same store except that he informed me that the State Mental Hospital has a 40 day back log because of budget cuts and layoffs at the hospital and the Judge stated that Brittany will have to stay in Clackamas county jail till she get this evaluation. I am outraged or parents are siblings are outraged and this Judge is not budging on his decision he just said he did not want her to stay in jail any longer then she needed to. Come on she is mentally ill she should have never been put in jail in the first place.
Since she was put in jail on June 15th I have contacted the Associated Press about this story, The Oregonian Newspaper, Katu channel 2, The Oregon Attorney Generals office, Even sent a e-mail to the President of the United Stated. Today Katu channel 2 sent me a e-mail showing some interest in Brittany's story.
Now I will tell you about how Brittany is getting treated in jail and how Brittany is going to end up sitting in jail for 2 weeks from her arrest date with out any family visits because of rules that are designed for the bad people in jail very bad rules in place the hurt confused mentally ill people in the jail system and no one seems to care even though the jail is taking care of the mentally ill in Oregon with out proper training or jail rules in place to help the mentally ill stuck in a ordeal were they get put in Clackamas County Jail System.
I have no way of contacting Brittany in jail and the people running the jail will not take messages for her from me against jail rules. Luckily Brittany called me Thursday the 18th and I told her about how the Judge is going to hold for another 40 days no one had told her about this decision. When I talk to her she wanted me to come visit her I was working on Friday and would not be able to come to the jail till Saturday. On Saturday when I went to the jail to see Brittany the personal told me I could not see her.A woman that is severely mentally ill and has never been to jail before and has been in jail for 5 days without any family contact except a couple of short phone calls over the last 5 days.
The jail personal told me Brittany had to fill out some paperwork requesting a visitor and she can only have visitors on Saturday and Tuesday jail rules.I asked jail personal if Brittany was told about this form she needed to fill out.They told me she was given a paper about jail rules when she was brought in on Monday the 15th.I asked this person if any verbally told her about this paper she needs to fill out this person said no that is against jail rules. I explained to this person that she suffers from mental illness and needs a little help with that kind of stuff. This person at the jail looked up Brittany's jail records and verified the the jail records indicated that Brittany was mentally ill and I was not lying to the jail personal.This person also told that there is a 2 day waiting period for approval and she will need basic information about the visitor when she figures out she needs to fill out this form to get visitors.
Before I left the jail that day I nicely asked this jail worker to please go back and tell Brittany about the form I asked 3 different times and was told no every time that is against jail rules.So I put money on Brittany's jail commissary account so she could get shampoo for her hair and maybe a candy bar.She wanted a brush for her hair but jail personal will not let me bring anything from home for her I hope they have one for her to buy at the jail. I can't bring her any magazines, books nothing against jail rules. I have been waiting for Brittany to call so I could tell her about the paper she needs to fill out but I have not received a call from her since when I talk to her on Thursday the 18th if even if she calls me tonight it is already to late to get a visit approved for Tuesday Brittany's only other visitors day.The next day will be Saturday the 27 th that will be 13 days in jail for a mentally ill person that has never been in jail in her life.But those are jail rules.
When I got home from my visit to the jail I contacted the Oregon Attorney Generals office asking them to investigate how jail rules maybe wrongfully made up and could be hurting mentally ill people housed in the Clackamas County jail system. I have not heard back from them yet. Well this is all I know so far I will return with any and all up dated as long as Brittany stays in jail and my fight to get her out and fight this flawed system.Even after Brittany get out of jail I will up date the Blog with what goes on with this Judge and this really really flawed Mental Health Court Program that Brittany will most likely have to stay in for a least a year maybe longer. Thanks for reading up to this point from Author Dean
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