(Quebec) The opposition parties are asking the Legault government for an “urgent” plan to come to the aid of people who have an intellectual disability or a behavioral disorder and who are experiencing horror, even if they are under the responsibility of the Public Curator, in detention centers and upon their release.
Posted at 5:27 p.m.
The Press revealed on Tuesday disturbing stories of citizens who have mental health problems, who are under the protection of the Public Curator and who do not receive the required support when they are in detention. In Montreal, there is no accommodation to welcome them when they return to society. Many then become homeless.
PQ MNA Véronique Hivon considers the situation “untenable” and calls for “very short-term solutions for people who are under public curatorship and who have extreme vulnerabilities”.
“We are simply not able to accommodate certain people in certain contexts, either in prison or on their release from prison. It is the state that is failing in its obligations towards the most vulnerable, ”she said on Tuesday.
It’s not rocket science. We need to set up safe places and have specialized resources. It must be done quickly. What is appalling is that the people who are supposed to be protected by the state’s ultimate resource, the Public Curator, are not protected for lack of appropriate resources.
PQ MNA Véronique Hivon
Liberal MP Jean Rousselle in turn pleaded for these people “who need help” and who do not receive the required services.
“They need psychological treatment, medication and supervision, but unfortunately they find themselves on the street, left to their own devices,” he denounced, demanding that Quebec add resources to detention centers and psychological care from organizations that help homeless people.
“The place of these people is not in prison: they need resources, specific services and support to be able to flourish in society. It worries me to the highest point to know that vulnerable people who live with an intellectual disability or a mental health problem are left to their own devices while they are under the responsibility of the Curateur public,” also reacted Christine Labrie. of Quebec solidaire.
“Our social safety net has huge holes. Trying to get intellectual disability or mental health services can look like an obstacle course, but it’s also very often the quest for a service that simply doesn’t exist,” she said. added.
New resources at the Curateur public
The office of the Minister of the Family and head of the Public Curator, Mathieu Lacombe, indicated on Tuesday that it was “very sensitive to the situations of vulnerable people who are reported this morning in” The Press.
“It is important to know that as soon as there was the first series of articles in The Pressa committee has been set up by the Curateur public on homelessness and a new resource will be hired and dedicated directly to homelessness and mental health issues,” it was indicated.
“New resources will also be hired by the Public Curator to ensure the proper follow-up of all files. […] Our role in these cases is to ensure the proper coordination of all the stakeholders and this is what the minister asked the curator in concrete terms, ”we added.
On leaving the Blue Room, the Minister of Public Security, Geneviève Guilbault, refused to answer questions from The Press about the fate reserved in detention centers for people living with an intellectual disability or a behavioral disorder, even if they are under the responsibility of the Curateur public. As of press time, his firm had still not responded to questions submitted by The Press.