The Reagan deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill and the incredible increase of crime in the US

[Mondavi]

6. Mentally ill are no more violent than the rest of the population (5%)...

Original intent of releasing the mentally ill from institutions was based in awareness of chemical imbalances and treatment by drugs which were improving their conditions above what talking therapy was doing for them.
Intent was also to provide half-way houses, supervision, guidance, permanent lodging and a real place in the community. Very little of that support was provided.
Over time, anti-depressant medications produced by Big Pharma have more and more serious side effects, many of which produce the very effects they were intended to prevent, especially when patients are forced off these medications abruptly due to costs. Prices continue to soar needlessly for all medications and US still lacks a universal health care system which would cover everyone, including medications.
Poverty and illness are being turned into crimes which provide large profits.
Many of the drugs are addictive and do lifelong harm to patients who were given these medications and should be taken off the market. But treatment programs for those addicted are also profitable, including now pushing shock treatments as cures for these addictions.
Our corrupted system of government is at fault, not the ill.