Legal Neglect of the Mentally Ill

Despite the increasing availability of legal services to the poor, the mentally ill remain excluded from such benefits. Once an individual has been committed to an institution, the law makes little provision for the protection of his legal and civil rights. This author examines the issues of involuntary commitment, what procedures should be employed, and what safeguards must be taken to preserve the rights of the committed person. He cites illustrations from the proposed revision of the laws governing involuntary hospitalization in Massachusetts.