mental health

TCIMC coverage - http://twincities.indymedia.org/alltags/ray-sandford

Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fJpvNHqXm0

Ray says, "I am happy!"

   At Last Moment, Ray Sandford's Forced Electroshock Today "Postponed"

   by David W. Oaks, Director, MindFreedom International

Ray Sandford just phoned me at the MindFreedom office with some very
good news.

His forced electroshock scheduled for this morning, Wednesday, 13 May
2009, has been postponed, literally at the last minute.

Ray said, "This is an answered prayer! I got to the hospital. I was

Friday, 1 May 2009:

     Successful Protest Held Inside Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda
to Stop Ray's Forced Shock

     by David W. Oaks, Director, MindFreedom International

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA: For three hours today, several dozen participants
successfully held a peaceful MindFreedom International protest of the
ongoing forced electroshock of Ray Sandford, a 55-year-old resident of
Columbia Heights, Minnesota. The loud protest was held directly inside

Previous TCIMC Video: ECT Survivor, Advocates Speak Out Against Forced Electroshock

MindFreedom News - 15 April 2009
Nonviolent Revolution in Mental Health
http://www.mindfreedom.org/ray - please forward

   Ray Sandford Declares "Guarded Victory" for MindFreedom Ray Campaign

Every two or three weeks on a Wednesday morning, Raymond Sandford of Columbia Heights is woken up early in his group home. He is involuntarily escorted 15 miles north to Mercy Hospital, where he receives another round of forced, court-ordered electroshocks to the brain.  Though Sandford, 54, is not charged with any crime, he has received over 40 such rounds of shocks on an outpatient basis so far--even after his original mental problems have long since subsided and he has repeatedly asked for the shocks to stop.

Over the objections of Sandford, his mother and friends, his legal conservator at Lutheran Social Service of MN (LSSMN) has gone to court and succeeded in mandating a continuation of the procedure.  Last year, Sandford went to a public library trying to find a human rights organization that could help, and found the Eugene, Oregon based MindFreedom International, which has helped him wage a campaign to stop the shocks and draw attention to widespread injustices in the mental health system.  From May 1 to 3, MindFreedom will organize peaceful protests, news conferences and other actions in Minneapolis/St. Paul as the next step in the campaign.

In this five-minute video produced by Twin Cities Indymedia, Ray Sandford, his mother Marilyn, and friend Daryl  speak about the issues in their own words.  Below, read excerpts of the FAQ from the campaign.

More info: MindFreedom Campaign for Ray | Related resources: MN Disability Law Center (started ECT work group) | The Icarus Project (radical mental health group meets weekly in MPLS)