To the editor:

Up to 56 percent of our prison population is mentally ill. Up to 25 percent of our homeless suffer severe mental illness. Fourteen percent of youth diagnosed as mentally ill are on psychotropic drugs, and an even higher percentage of foster youth that have been diagnosed mentally ill are on these drugs. 

Many families have to lock their bedroom doors at night for fear that the person that they love in the next room will follow through with a threat to hurt them, and they have little urgent resources to turn to. 

This is an indictment on our mental health system. It has now been reported that there were recommendations for the Parkland shooter to be forcibly committed a year before the tragic events of 2/14/18. That never happened. Imagine if it had, there are no guarantees, but maybe 18 lives could have been saved, those of the 17 victims, and that of the Parkland shooter who will likely face the death penalty. 

I think we can do better. 

Complicated? Yes. Expensive? Yes. Impossible? Maybe, but it is my opinion that school security, and family and societal breakdown should be the focus of our energy and resources, not the politically driven gun debate.

My last letter was flippant I admit that, but I stand by my opinions.

Thank you,

Patti Agustin

Barrington