We need a 4th emergency service for people in crisis to just evac them from bad situations, almost like the witness protection.
We need a 4th emergency service for people in crisis to just evac them from bad situations, almost like the witness protection.
I don't want to get too political in shower thoughts, but this would solve a lot of the hot button issues if more people just had safer and supportive environments to escape to and volunteers / paid professionals to help them on the other end.
This is one example of how the current criminal justice system prioritizes capitalism over public safety. People who live paycheck to paycheck don't have resources to remove themselves from situations where they know they are in danger. Most people are murdered by people they know, not strangers. This is especially true in terms of women's pay inequality, where this systemic failure makes it harder for women to separate themselves from abusive partners, who often end up killing them. If you want to reduce murders, you need some wealth distribution, not more policing.
That was the whole point of defund the police - shift social/mental health services to people who are trained in those areas and let cops focus on crime rather than domestic disturbances.
This is one of the reasons abusers pressure you to quit your job-- so even if you were finanically stable before, you end up becoming financially dependant on them so you can't just leave. It also makes it nigh-impossible for kids, even kids of wealthy families, to escape abusive situations before they're old enough to get a job (and you can bet their parents will run interference to keep that from happening as long as possible, or else figure out a way to coerce them into giving them their paychecks.)
I don't think this is just a capitalist problem. I don't think there's been an economic system in human history (practiced, not theorized) that helped the have nots to the same degree as the haves.
The city I live in has a "crisis services" unit for mental health crises, drug abuse related crises, welfare checks, psychiatric evaluation for hospitalization, and so on.
I've used one of these before. The main problem is that you're often put on a hold for at least 72 hours.
And while this does help get you out of that immediate crisis, missing 3 days of work and pay can actually put you in a worse position when you get out.
And mental institution stays aren't always super helpful for long-term mental health. Many of them are as bad, if not worse than being in jail.
Same with my city. During the defund the police talk they made national news as an alternative to armed police response to mental health crisises.
Pretty much everyone in the USA is served by mobile crisis teams. 988 will connect you to one
What's the scope of help you're thinking of? Do you need to get out of a home situation for a while? You could drink a 6-12 pack and go to your local AA/NA inpatient rehab. Bring a piece of paper with import phone numbers on it and you can spend 2-4 weeks tucked away where absolutely no one knows where you are except the person(s) you call out to.
I don't condone abusing services like that. But if you really gotta go, there are options.
Ribbit
Absolutely. And safe, private apartments the people being evacced can stay at for a few weeks / months while they look for work. Not "shelters" that are usually anything but (assuming you can even ones with space available for you in your area).