Involuntary Commitment
Why Is CCHR Opposed to Involuntary Commitment?
Throughout history, it has been shown that the action of involuntary commitment has been abused and exploited on a populace. When you recall the atrocities seen in Germany, Russia, and South Africa one cannot forget that laws that are set up to protect citizens can sometimes turn against them. This is the case with the involuntary commitment and treatment in the mental health system known in Florida as the Baker Act. It’s one thing to restrain a violent person intent on harming themselves and others until they can be examined and intervened by the justice system or by the medical system. But when the Baker Act is used to incarcerate a person, deprive them of life and liberty, and force them to receive treatment that they have not agreed to and by duress, this becomes a human rights violation.