Richmond, Va. (Newsradiowrva.com) - A new report released by the disAbility Law Center of Virginia (dLCV) reveals that the death of Irvo Otieno could have been prevented if law enforcement and hospital staff had not used prone restraint tactics – a method of subduing individuals.
Irvo Orieno, a 28-year-old Black man, died in custody of a state-run psychiatric hospital in March 2023. His death – which was ruled a homicide – led to an $8.5 million wrongful death settlement and called attention to issues with the state’s mental health system.
The report authors contend that people experiencing mental health crises should not be perceived as a threat to public safety and controversial restraint methods should not be employed.
In a presentation of the findings before the House Appropriations Committee at the state Capitol on Tuesday, Colleen Miller, the dLCV’s executive director, urged lawmakers to end the criminalization of mental illness, remove law enforcement from the state’s response to people with mental health episodes and address the conditions in Virginia’s jails.
“There is serious reform needed in Virginia because the events that happened to Mr. Otieno resulted in his death, and it got a lot of media attention,” Miller said. “But people with mental illness are encountering these issues every single day in Virginia, and we need to do something about it.”
The full report, “Falling Through the Cracks,” can be viewed here.
