After killing his parents at age 22 in 1992 Brian Bechtold has been in the Perkins Psychiatric Hospital. He gives his perspective of these many years hospitalized as he feels he is no longer mentally ill. The author also gives her point of view and detiails many of the problems with caring for the mentally ill. After having worked with some of the patients in a state psychiatric hospital I agree with Ms. Brottman on most of her observations and the need for much improved care. ( )

This is a fairly different take on a true crime story. It's focused primarily on what happens to the murderer after he's killed and is sent to a psychiatric facility. There's still a good bit of foundation laid regarding his upbringing, his parents, the murder (he killed his parents - and I didn't feel too bad about that since they were mostly awful), and his psychosis. He had some very serious problems.

The book is interesting but not particularly engaging. I think I was mostly frustrated by what seemed like Brian's inability to get a fair shake with the doctors and the courts. But I was also constantly aware that I'm getting Brian's point of view through the author - who has no actual training in psychiatry (at least I got the impression that is the case) and only got to know him through a course she offered at the facility. So is Brian the most reliable source of information when it comes to his diagnosis? I don't know. And that's how I ended up feeling at the completion of the book: I don't know. There was a lot of information given but I don't know what the facts truly are so, in some ways, I'm feeling like maybe this wasn't a good use of my reading time... ( )

A documentary type book covering the trials and tribulations of a man who as a very young man slew his parents in a fit of perceived mental illness by the justice system. I listened as an audiobook and it certainly did enlighten me as to what happens in our judicial system when someone is found legally insane for their crime.

You would think the process would seek to treat and reform the person and behavior but it turns out in this advocacy type of presentation it is not that apparent. This individual ends up spending most of his life ensnared in a web of law and medicine that leaves him in a perpetual limbo as to his own life. It probably could be argued that the treatment is just but the author reveals a different take in how difficult it is to prove sanity in the legal system that seems itself blinded in its justice.

The book becomes bogged down in endless conflicts the patient endured but there was certainly information that can be gleaned in how the process works when someone is held mentally incompetent for the crime. And it appears to be no reprieve. ( )

This not your usual true crime book. Most true crime books I have read deal with the crime and trial. This book, while it does go through Brian’s crime and his childhood, is more about what happened after. Brian, at 19, murdered his parents and was found not criminally responsible. It was determined that he was mentally ill. Brian, himself, agrees with that. He gets sent to Perkins, an institution in Maryland.
Most of the book is about life in Perkins, with the emphasis on Brian and his battle for freedom from Perkins. If you have an interest in mental health and how some of our mentally ill are warehoused, this is a book you will want to read. I do feel, after reading this, that for many years we have failed at adequately caring for the mentally ill. I was heartened to read that there has been some recent improvements. Some of the chapters have little to nothing to do with Brian. I feel they were intended to give a more complete picture of life inside Perkins. Life inside institutions for the mentally ill has always been dangerous. It seems that changes occur very slowly. We are still looking at some of the same issues that were happening in 1985, when a state hospital where I lived was closed. Many of those issues were present in the 1930’s. One would hope that, in that length of time, we would have better care. Unfortunately we don’t. We have many mentally ill who are homeless and receiving inadequate care. Having read this insider look inside an institution, I see those who are in placement also receive inadequate or inconsistent care. Hopefully this book will bring about some conversations on what we need to do and how to accomplish those goals.
I found this to be an interesting book. There are no suggestions for improvements. I would have appreciated reading the author’s ideas on this. I found this to be heavy reading and needed to take breaks. I needed time to reflect on what I was reading. I wish I had some answers for what we can do. The mentally ill are a part of our society and, in my opinion, can most likely be found in a majority of families in the United States. We need to find a balance between inpatient and outpatient care that better addresses the care of them.

*I won an advanced reader’s edition in a Goodreads Giveaway. My review is voluntary and is my thoughts and opinions on what I read.* ( )

I have read several dozen true crime books but like author Mikita says, most focus on the events leading up to the crime and justice for the crime. That is where most of the books end. Which I have to admit that most of the time I don't spend much time thinking about the person or persons afterwards. So, I was intrigued to take a look more at the perpetrator's view after the trial.

In the case of Brian, he was sent to an institution to determine if he is considered competent to stand trial. It might seem like an institution would be a better place than prison but it is not. Sadly, not all of the people in an institution require long term care but a lot of them do end up there for the rest of their lives. The situation is not an improvement nor do the people receive the care that they require or need. Overall, I did like this book and the different point of view it gave me. ( )