View source for Kendra's Law

'''Kendra's Law''' is a [[New York State]] law concerning [[involuntary outpatient commitment]]. This piece of legislation grants judges the authority to issue orders that require people receiving mental health services to take psychiatric drugs, regularly undergo psychiatric treatment, or both. Failure to comply could result in commitment for up to 72 hours. 

==Background==
Two similar subway assaults occurred in the [[New York City subway]] in [[1999]]. In each, a man diagnosed with [[schizophrenia]] pushed a person into the path of an oncoming [[train]]. An assault by [[Julio Perez]], age 43, caused the [[amputation]] of Edgar Rivera's legs. The assault by Andrew Goldstein, age 29, killed [[Kendra Webdale]]. Both men had been dismissed by psychiatric facilities with little or no [[medication]]. One of the men was homeless and the other had repeatedly sought a supervised living arrangement.

Kendra's law, introduced by Governor [[George E. Pataki]], was created as a response to these incidents.<ref>McMan's Depression and Bipolar Web, "Kendra's Law", [http://www.mcmanweb.com/article-66.htm http://www.mcmanweb.com/article-66.htm]</ref>  In 2005, the law was extended for 5 years. <ref>New York Civil Liberties Union, "State Lawmakers Extend Kendra's Law For 5 Years, Despite Concerns That It Targets Men Of Color" [http://www.nyclu.org/aot_program_pr_062305.html http://www.nyclu.org/aot_program_pr_062305.html]</ref>

==Support==

[[E. Fuller Torrey]], founder of the [[Treatment Advocacy Center]], lobbied heavily in support of of Kendra's Law.

==Opposition==

Kendra's law is opposed for different reasons by many groups, most notably the [[Anti-Psychiatry]] movement and the [[New York Civil Liberties Union]]. Opponents say that the law has harmed the mental health system, because it can scare patients away from seeking treatment.<ref>NYCLU Testimony On Extending Kendra's Law [http://www.nyclu.org/aot_program_tstmny_040805.html http://www.nyclu.org/aot_program_tstmny_040805.html]</ref>  The implementation of the law is also criticized as being [[race|racially]] and [[socioeconomic|socioeconomically]] biased.<ref>New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, Inc., "Implementation of Kendra's Law is Severely Biased" (April 7, 2005) [http://nylpi.org/pub/Kendras_Law_04-07-05.pdf http://nylpi.org/pub/Kendras_Law_04-07-05.pdf] (PDF)</ref><ref>NYCLU Testimony On Extending Kendra's Law [http://www.nyclu.org/aot_program_tstmny_040805.html http://www.nyclu.org/aot_program_tstmny_040805.html]</ref>
 
==References==
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==External links==
*[http://www.omh.state.ny.us/omhweb/Kendra_web/Ksummary.htm Summary of the law]
*[http://www.nyclu.org/aot_program_tstmny_040805.html NYCLU stance on the Law]
*[http://www.psychlaws.org/PressRoom/presskits/Kendra'sLawPressKit/kendraslawdoc1.htm Myths about Kendra's Law]
*[http://www.mhselfhelp.org/ National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse]
*[http://www.mcmanweb.com/article-66.htm Kendra's Law, Not Ours]

==See also==
*[[Laura's Law]]

[[Category:New York law]]
[[Category:Mental health law in the United States]]
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