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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels June 28, 2004 Resident dismayed with handling of Jackson House As soon as I hear "I can assure you that ...," I know I'm being had, especially when it comes from an attorney whose job is to place recovering mentally ill people in communities. Jackson House will be home to 12 patients from the state mental hospital, six judged criminally insane. The neighborhood learned of it June 7, not from the facilitators, but from newspapers. Patients arrived June 14. The patronizing meeting to "put us at ease" was June 9. It didn't take long to realize that what is billed as a maximum security facility will become a half-way house, and we have to trust in the wisdom of those in charge for our safety. Wise people with nothing to hide would have involved the community. Claiming it didn't occur to them to inform us is highly suspect. A cynical friend's favorite comment is "Follow the money." The Ashland Hospital Foundation will collect rent, Jackson County receives state funds. I can't help but feel there is more going on here, they were trying too hard, and with only two days notice, most, if not all, of the people involved were there. Initially trying to charm us, later becoming defensive, the leaders made some remarkably insensitive comments. The two sexual offenders were just offenders, not predators. It was only an attempted murder. Each crime was committed when they were psychotic, but they're fine now, as long as they take their medicine. When reminded that patients build up a tolerance to medicines without warning and become psychotic again, the psychiatrist said "I would know." He is there one day a week. At one point, one of the leaders said we could only ask constructive questions and offer solutions instead of criticism. Over and over we were told the same type of criminal patients have been housed there for over a decade. Maybe some residents did have an arrest record, but they were not criminally insane or so seriously mentally ill they were committed. When asked about putting bars on the flimsy windows, they said that would upset the patients. When asked for photos of the patients so we would recognize them if they escaped, we were told that would be illegal. However, they will provide us with the phone number of Jackson House, and if we notice a stranger in the yard, we can phone them or 911. It was obvious these people do care about the patients but not much about us. I resent being repeatedly told how lucky I am because these people are supervised, and there are worse already living among us. I'm deeply troubled by the secrecy surrounding this project. I'm saddened that they only reached out to us after they were found out. Mary Ann Penrose Ashland DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams