Spencer Sinkov (21) hung himself with a sweatshirt

[mydeathspaceaddict]

http://mydeathspace.com/article/2006/05/27/Spencer_Sinkov_(21)_hung_himself_in_his_jail_cell_ using_a_sweatshirt

My friend wrote me today saying she knew this guy from school- so I checked out the listing and I must say I find it quite upsetting.  This guy must have been in jail detoxing from herion and just couldn't take it.  I feel so bad for his family...

[MBPearls]

His parents blame the police for their son hanging himself?  :?

They say he should have been in a hospital, not prison.  Hmm, he was arrested on drug charges.  There was nothing physically wrong with him.  I guess I don't see where they think he should have been committed (I'm assuming they mean mental hospital).

All part of the America way - blame everyone else! 

[Anti Social]

Awww  :-(

[TweekStar]

I think its just another story that shows us how America needs to change the way we address drugs and drug abuse.

[Peavey]

[quote author=TweekStar link=topic=2334.msg83410#msg83410 date=1161399896]
I think its just another story that shows us the way America needs to change the way we address drugs and drug abuse.
[/quote]

Good point, Tweek.  In other countries, they don't criminalize drug addiction, they medicalize it.  Their crime rates are substantively lower, their addiction rates are lower, and their prisons are less crowded then ours in the U.S. 

[mydeathspaceaddict]

Peavey once again your insight is profound,  I had similiar feelings about this.  They (the U.S. legal system)treat drug addicts as individuals who are morally corrupt as oppossed to people with a serious and fatal disease.

[Broken Epiphany]

Yeah, he should have been given methadone...withdrawls without medication will make you want to kill yourself


He was cute...long hair get me.

[Peavey]

[quote author=mydeathspaceaddict link=topic=2334.msg83525#msg83525 date=1161404341]
Peavey once again your insight is profound,Â* I had similiar feelings about this.Â* They (the U.S. legal system)treat drug addicts as individuals who are morally corrupt as oppossed to people with a serious and fatal disease.
[/quote]

Its amazing though, how many people would disagree with us in this country.  I even know some opiate addicts that think that their behavior is criminal, instead of indicative of an illness.  What many people don't realize is the ways in which the criminal justice system is structured to keep people sick.  If an addict goes to prison for a drug crime, there have been no safeguards or treatments in place to prevent he or she from using upon release.  Imagine - they were sick before they went in - what do we think that several years of incarceration and institutionalization have done to them??

When it comes to drug 'offenders'  society would benefit tremendously by switching from a punishment focused model to a treatment focused one.

And don't even get me started on the racialization of this shit...
Perhaps at some point when you have an hour for some coffee  :-P

Some of the undergraduate students at my university recently started a chapter of Students for a Sensible Drug Pollicy.
Their website is here: http://www.ssdp.org/

[mydeathspaceaddict]

That is good stuff Peavey.

My plan is when all my kids are in school (4 yrs from now if hubby keeps it under wraps  ) is to start work in a drug treatment center- I figured I might as well try to make some good of my years of hands on expierence...

[death roe]

Maybe the guards were "napping in the storeroom"...oh wait wrong post. I think if a drug addict is arrested and they are going to go through withdrawal (the addict knows if it will happen) they should have them in a medical facility rather than the regular jail or holding area. The guy probably felt really bad that his parents were going to have to come up with $50,000 cash bond to get him out. He knew he would go through a painful withdrawal while waiting to be bailed out. I can't imagine the confusion and pain that he must have been going through. I'm sure his guilt grew worse as he went further into withdrawal. Another good reason not to do drugs.

I know a guy that was in our local jail. (found innocent of all charges, after months of incarceration)
Anyways, there was a rather large inmate who was in a lot of pain. The guy was crying and moaning constantly. The guards ignored him for over 24 hrs, and the other inmates listened to this poor man suffering for many, many hours. Finally they admitted him to the infirmary, where he died shortly afterwards. I think he had either a bowel obstruction or maybe it was his kidneys...I think he was going through kidney failure. Really a sad situation. The family was suing the county, I don't know the results though. I worked with a gal that was this guys cousin, she heard me telling a friend about the guy. She was blown away that I had spoke to someone within the jail that witnessed most of it. (he was in a nearby cell)

Just a side note:
They don't even give the prisoners aspirin. They have to buy it from the commissary, along with many other daily items. Which is a good thing. But if they don't have family or friends that put money into their account, they really have the bare minimum as far as comfort needs. Again, which is good. The inmates families need to buy medications and give it to the jail or the jail rapes them on the cost. So if the person requires methadone, they may not be able to buy it and have to go without. In some cases with many conditions and meds that can be very dangerous.

[blueballs]

:-(

[mydeathspaceaddict]

[quote author=blueballs link=topic=2334.msg84019#msg84019 date=1161484894]
:-(
[/quote]

ummmm... call it a hunch but somehow I think you have more to say than  :-( about this death...
do you care to exband on your feelings? Perhaps? 

[MBPearls]

I suppose the criminal justice system will get a complete overhaul whenever the government decides to quit throwing money our country doesn't have at countries that don't want our help.  In other words - never.

[emmieslost]

MDSA and peavey, you guys rock.  i just bought the book "prison nation, the warehousing of america's poor"  thought you might be interested...  the stories make me sick and sad...

[SOAD]

where can I get one of these sweatshirts? im always ripping the armpits outta mine. if a sweatshirt is strong enough to suspend a guy they must be good quality

[daybreaksdisdain]

[quote author=SOAD link=topic=2334.msg85280#msg85280 date=1161631931]
where can I get one of these sweatshirts? im always ripping the armpits outta mine. if a sweatshirt is strong enough to suspend a guy they must be good quality
[/quote]

Hanes

[Hellbettie]

[quote author=TweekStar link=topic=2334.msg83410#msg83410 date=1161399896]
I think its just another story that shows us how America needs to change the way we address drugs and drug abuse.
[/quote]

I would agree with that.  To go cold turkey on drugs like that, in a jail cell...I feel bad.  There should be a detox process before you even begin with just shuttin' em up in the county jail.  Nobody who has experienced withdrawals from drugs will never understand, knowing the next day, you're just gonna feel worse.

I'm sure parents would love to stage interventions, but that is a lot of money.  It's not just free. 

[soggyshoes]

[quote author=SOAD link=topic=2334.msg85280#msg85280 date=1161631931]
where can I get one of these sweatshirts? im always ripping the armpits outta mine. if a sweatshirt is strong enough to suspend a guy they must be good quality
[/quote]

Bad Boy! You are right that must be good quality.

[mydeathspaceaddict]

[quote author=emmieslost link=topic=2334.msg85259#msg85259 date=1161631477]
MDSA and peavey, you guys rock.Â* i just bought the book "prison nation, the warehousing of america's poor"Â* thought you might be interested...Â* the stories make me sick and sad...
[/quote]

Can I get an author on that, it sounds like an interesting read... oh and thanks for the kind words- you ain't too shabby yourself! 

[TweekStar]

Prisons are an industry. More prisoners, more money.

[bellaicy]

this is a really sad situation we have in our jail system today there are criminals like this poor guy who i'm surmizing here got caught up with the wrong bunch of people and went down with them i'm not advocating drug use  but if we had a society that dealt more with rehabilitizing drug users than throwing them in jail we have a a lot less people in our jail syatems and i bet the guy sitting next to him either had time on him before or commited a more heinous crime  than him t's just sad RIP

[Beans]

[quote author=MBPearls link=topic=2334.msg83348#msg83348 date=1161394095]
His parents blame the police for their son hanging himself?Â* Â*:?

They say he should have been in a hospital, not prison.Â* Hmm, he was arrested on drug charges.Â* There was nothing physically wrong with him.Â* I guess I don't see where they think he should have been committed (I'm assuming they mean mental hospital).

All part of the America way - blame everyone else!Â*
[/quote]

Nah, this one deserves to be partially blamed on someone else considering the way that Americans treat drug addicts like sick dogs now, that post about the girl who offed herself over bullying is another story. That stupid girl deserves all the blame.

[TinkerBelly]

It amazes me that public officials think they can put a drug or alcohol user in a jail cell and not be setting them up for more dangerous situation than if they left them out on the streets.

In the ER where I work the CIWA Protocol (Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment) is used for patients who have even a small history of alcohol use, illegal substances or prescribed medications.  It is a standard that is in place to prevent the horrible withdrawal affects that can be caused by drug or alcohol abuse or even for the "social" everyday beer drinker who suddenly gets "cut off" due to a hospitalization.

There are certain medications that prevent the withdrawal symptoms and possible seizures that can accompany sudden withdrawl and the protocol calls for certain dosaging and taper to make the withdrawal bearable.  It is not replacing one drug with another--it is a humane way to help someone suffering from an addiction.

RIP Spencer........I hope you can make beautiful music wherever your are.....

[Hellbettie]

[quote author=TinkerBelly link=topic=2334.msg86906#msg86906 date=1161742761]
It amazes me that public officials think they can put a drug or alcohol user in a jail cell and not be setting them up for more dangerous situation than if they left them out on the streets.

In the ER where I work the CIWA Protocol (Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment) is used for patients who have even a small history of alcohol use, illegal substances or prescribed medications.  It is a standard that is in place to prevent the horrible withdrawal affects that can be caused by drug or alcohol abuse or even for the "social" everyday beer drinker who suddenly gets "cut off" due to a hospitalization.

There are certain medications that prevent the withdrawal symptoms and possible seizures that can accompany sudden withdrawl and the protocol calls for certain dosaging and taper to make the withdrawal bearable.  It is not replacing one drug with another--it is a humane way to help someone suffering from an addiction.

RIP Spencer........I hope you can make beautiful music wherever your are.....
[/quote]

I wish more ERs were like that...whatever you do people, do not get on the xanax, klonopins, ativans, valiums, they're so physically addictive, kinda like booze without having to have the drinks.  The withdrawals were unreal...My husband brought by a truck he'd test drove, and I looked at it and all, but I honestly dont remember it.  If you're familiar with Stephen King like movies/imagination, thats what the dreams would be like..that was IF I could sleep.  And it wont let go of ya in a week or so like the Vicodins and opiates.  It takes months to sucessfully and safely taper from that shit.