Freedom to Refuse

The Sell v. United States (2003) U.S. Supreme Court decision necessitates an evaluation of forced medication, informed consent, and incompetence to stand trial. Are the criminal justice and mental health systems entwined in procedures that create unjust consequences? Charles Sell's refusal to take psychiatric medication prevented him from being tried on Medicaid fraud and resulted in his confinement in forensic institutions for more years than he would have served had he been convicted and received the maximum sentence for his alleged crime. The current reliance on drug-dominated treatment models backed by force and its historical antecedents are examined in relationship to present-day practices and prospects for recovery. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)