Court: Inmate's Threat in Therapy Not Grounds for Discipline

[hrmjustin]

Jon Campbell

Presumably, it's a good thing when prison inmates are honest during psychiatric counseling. Opening up to a therapist is sort of the whole point of the exercise.

So imagine Thomas Archie's surprise when his statement to a therapist landed him in disciplinary proceedings at the state prison where he was serving time.

A New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Department has now confirmed the obvious, ruling in a decision published July 31 that Archie can't be disciplined for telling his therapist his innermost thoughts. Even if he sometimes "thought about choking an Office of Mental Health psychiatrist and wanted to wrap a wire around the neck of a physician who had treated him."

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2014/08/court_inmates_threat_in_therapy_not_grounds_for_discipline.php

[No Vested Interest]

1. Agreed. What were they thinking? nt

[hrmjustin]

2. They think they could get away with anything.

Typical of prison.