About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline

LOG IN
LOG IN


70 Mich. L. Rev. 1107 (1971-1972)
Alternatives to Civil Commitment of the Mentally Ill: Practical Guides and Constitutional Imperatives

handle is hein.journals/mlr70 and id is 1123 raw text is: ALTERNATIVES TO CIVIL COMMITMENT OF THE MENTALLY ILL: PRACTICAL GUIDES AND CONSTITUTIONAL IMPERATIVES David L. Chambers TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ...... ............... 1108 II. THE VARIETY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE ALTERNATIVES TO HOSPITALIZATION ..... ............. 1112 B. The Range of Alternatives to Hospitalization. . . 1112 A. Goals of State Commitment Codes ........ .1119 C. The Effectiveness of Alternatives to Hospitalization in Serving State Goals .... ........... .1121 III. THE LEGAL OBLIGATION To SEARCH FOR ALTERNATIVES TO HOSPITALIZATION ...... ............. 1137 A. The Undetected Flexibility of Existing State Codes 1138 B. Constitutional Obligation ............... 1145 1. The Principle of the Least Restrictive Alternative in Constitutional Adjudication ........ .1145 2. The Few Civil Commitment Cases on Point . . 1151 3. Civil Commitment Involves So Severe an In- fringement of Fundamental Liberties That Al- ternatives Must Be Explored ....... 1155 IV. ENSURING THAT A MEANINGFUL SEARCH FOR ALTERNA- TIVES OCCURS ........ ............... 1168 A. The Appropriate System To Ensure That Alterna- tives Are Examined .... ........... .1168 B. The Power of Committing Courts To Compel Al- ternative Facilities To Cooperate ......... .1177 C. The Appropriate Stage in Proceedings for Examining Alternatives ...... .............. 1178 V. GOING BEYOND ...... ............... 1182 A. Reaching the Voluntary Patient .. ....... .1182 B. Requiring the Use of Alternatives Even When They Are Less Effective Than Hospitalization . . .. 1184 C. Forcing the State To Create Less Restrictive A lterna- tives ....... ................. .1189 [1107]