A mental health crisis should not be a death sentence.
Irvo Otieno was a 28-year-old man who was passionate about life, his family, and had dreams for his future. Mr. Otieno was a gifted athlete in high school, playing football and basketball, and even attended college in California for a bit. He loved creating music and aspired to make a career in the industry. His goals were not just of fortune and fame – he wanted to help his relatives back in his native country, Kenya. He was known for being warm, inviting, and a good listener.
Mr. Otieno had a mental health crisis in the community and needed treatment. Too often individuals who need psychiatric help face many barriers to receiving treatment, especially people of color. What he received was policy brutality, arrest, incarceration, unreasonable restraints, and ultimately death.
disAbility Law Center of Virginia (dLCV) investigated the death of Irvo Otieno in March 2023. From his initial encounters with police and the hospital emergency room to his incarceration and transfer to Central State Hospital, dLCV discovered a complete breakdown of Virginia’s mental health crisis system, compounded by a culture of criminalizing individuals with mental illness, particularly communities of color. The system that was supposed to help Mr. Otieno utterly and completely failed him.
To prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future, dLCV recommends the following to address the multiple system failures illuminated by Mr. Otieno’s death:
- Preventing the Criminalization and Unnecessary Incarceration of People with Disabilities
- Implementing Adequate Health and Behavioral Standards in Jails
- Protecting the Rights of Patients in Hospital Settings to Ensure Necessary Care
- Strengthening Police Oversight and Regulating the Use of Prone Restraint