Homeless and mentally ill Florida man sentenced to 150 years in prison for CP
According to an editorial/opinion piece in the Miami Herald, a Florida man “diagnosed with years of untreated schizophrenia, is fighting a de facto life sentence for possession of CP – a far greater sentence than is typical for his crimes.” The plea deal was for three years, but probably because of his mental instability, he chose to go to trial, going against his attorneys’ advice.
This case is more than laws and sentences, but about how our courts treat people with mental illness.
Having witnessed some of the most serious mental illness cases in our Florida prisons, I can tell you that locking these people up in prison for years is NOT the answer.
It would be nice to be able to read the entire article without having to pay for an online subscription to the news agency.
Source link appears to be free now. I was able to see entire article.
And I remember when this case was crazy https://reason.com/2017/04/14/florida-man-gets-100-years-for-possessin/
Maybe the governor can overturn it (slim chance I know) to a reasonable time that fits the crime he committed and get the treatment he needs.