Andre Thomas: Services Scarce for Troubled Youths
This is Part Three in a six-part series exploring the intersections of the mental health and criminal justice systems in Texas. It examines the case of Andre Thomas, a death row inmate who began exhibiting signs of mental illness as a boy and committed a brutal triple murder in 2004. Blind because he pulled out both of his eyes while behind bars, Thomas awaits a federal court's decision on whether he is sane enough to be executed.
SHERMAN, Texas — In a letter to his pregnant girlfriend, Laura Boren, on July 1, 1999 — the day after his latest threat to ...
Comments (8)
Krista Henkel-Selph via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Not only in rural areas, in most, there is little or no support for mental healtcare.
Joe Estep via Texas Tribune on Facebook
One question when he killed did he know it was wrong? If yes then he deaerves what the courts handed him.
Dianna Pharr via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Not just a problem in rural areas ... thank you for writing about this Texas Tribune.
Carlitos Way via Texas Tribune on Facebook
People still very ignorant about mental illness. Texas is horrible when it comes to being able to get treatment.
Toni Mikel via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I have suffered mental illness all my life and yes there is nothing out there for teens, no proactive tools use to help those that suffer from these illnesses. Crime ridden,busted kids get mentors but mental health kids normally are shy, withdrawn and wallflowers that nobody pays attention to unless it is bullies who prey on their introverted weaknesses and apparent differences. I want everyone that knows, sees youth or works in schools to pay attention to the ones that cannot meet your eye, lower their head or have little to none self-esteem. Some days totally dark and withdrawn and sometimes vibrant and smiling or just TOO. Over zealous type. Or talks to themselves. No light in their eyes. These might be the ones needing help.
Then I want you to call your Senator/Congress at (292)224-3121 and tell them you want strong background checks for guns. Limit the count in magazine clips and assault weapons.
My parents loved me. I had structure, discipline, and ever the watchful eye on me, especially up to my 20s! I still managed to fall off and have crisis after crisis. Medications are so much more improved now. Being locked up is horrid because there are scary, mean people in there but it did get me help and after life long struggles, (I never did crime just hurt myself and had violent episodes but women are less violent than men )
And not until I was mature woman did I ever find meds to help me. Each brain is individual and chemical makeup different. But one thing important was my parents, my husband watched me, kept guns away from me, kept medications away from me. Some of these youths wasting away in prisons just needed love and meds and someone that care enough to do something. Start thinking about this as disease just like diabetes or heart disease, yet so far different because you can't control this with your diet so much as it HAS TO TAKE MEDS that are very very expensive. These meds must be made cheaper because even I who realize how important , sometimes go off ocasionally due to lack of money, hard times, high deductible on insurance leaves us paying cash every month.
Toni McNulty via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The article states "...nearly six out of 10 Texas public school students were suspended or expelled between the 7th and 12th grades." HALF of ALL students? Really? I find that hard to believe, and if this is true, there is much more going on here. They can't ALL be mentally ill.
Lori Trammell via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Don't get me started on over prescribing brain altering drugs for children or the generational welfare trap or parents teaching kids personal accountability ..
Cindy Rhoton Cook via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I find it interesting that my comment was deleted.