Claudia Kay

Notes from a Secure Psychiatric Facility in a Poor Red State

“It’s not ideal,” my supervisor answers when I ask if it is illegal for the state to take control of a person’s life even though he never had a chance to stand trial. Later, I ask a psychologist from our state’s Department of Mental Health the same question. “Oh, totally,” she says. “Of course, we are violating their constitutional and human rights!”