A Libertarian Plan to Improve Involuntary Commitment Procedures

At the Cato Institute, America's preeminent libertarian think-tank, I wrote

 Current civil commitment policies protect neither the liberty of persons with mental illness nor the liberty of the public. They have increased government intrusion, increased public costs, and are inhumane. Changing to scientifically based commitment procedures can increase the liberties of individuals with mental illness, increase the liberties of those without mental illness, and help downsize government. Therefore, improving civil commitment laws should be a goal of libertarians. 

 I argue that because schizophrenia is a real disorder that can impede rational thinking and free will, and that treatment can restore it, that mandating treatment would result in greater liberties for people with mental illness by cutting down on incarceration and inpatient commitment. It would also open the doors to shorter commitments and the used of less restrictive treatment venues. You can read the whole piece at http://www.cato-unbound.org/2012/08/22/the-editors/letters-a-libertarians-proposal-to-reform-involuntary-commitment/