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mariel_stadick
Reviews
Guilty Except for Insanity (2010)
Insightful documentary about systemic dysfunction in mental health and criminal justice
Guilty Except for Insanity is a compelling and insightful look into the stories of some of the residents of the Oregon State Hospital. The documentary explores how the mental health system itself is dysfunctional when suffering people resort to criminal activity before being able to receive the mental health care they need. Interspersing these portraits with informative interviews with experts on the guilty except for insanity defense, the film portrays the stories of patients with intelligence and compassion. I found this documentary in keeping with the perceptiveness of Dr. Haaken's other films on the intersection of psychology and social justice, such as Queens of Heart: Community Therapists in Drag and her most recent film, Mind Zone: Therapists Behind the Front Lines.