Jail inmates have right to fresh air, do psych patients? NO!

In addition to coerced and forced drugging, lack of informed consent and widespread violation of basic rights, denial of the essential healing gift of fresh air is another collective insult we face.


Commonwealth of Massachusetts – Department of Correction
Regulation 103 DOC 472
INMATE RECREATION AND LEISURE ACTIVITIES

Section 472.02: Inmate Access to Recreational Programs and Leisure Activities

1. General - It is the department's policy to provide inmates within its custody equal access to recreational and leisure time opportunities and equipment, including, when weather permits, outdoor exercise.

-- Mon Feb 08, 2016 1:31 am --

Even farm animals have the right to fresh air !

§ 205.239 Livestock living conditions. [PARAPHRASED]

(a) The producer of an organic livestock operation must establish and maintain year-round livestock living conditions which accommodate the health and natural behavior of animals, including:

(1) Year-round access for all animals to the outdoors, shade, shelter, exercise areas, fresh air, clean water for drinking, and direct sunlight, suitable to the species, its stage of life, the climate, and the environment…Yards, feeding pads, and feedlots shall be large enough to allow all ruminant livestock to feed simultaneously without crowding and without competition for food. Continuous total confinement of any animal indoors is prohibited…

(4) Shelter designed to allow for:

(i) Natural maintenance, comfort behaviors, and opportunity to exercise.

Link to USDA Regulation: https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/ ... cketga.pdf

Are we talking about high security patients here or just patients in general. I'm not sure that high security prisoners are allowed outside but they take them out shopping and everything at the mental hospital here if they're well enough.

You are right that many patients can go for a walk or are taken to go for a walk, if possible daily. "High security patients" do not always have a place to go outside though. There are even patients that are kept in "safe rooms" for months or years, without even the most basic facilities or windows or people to talk to. That is worse than inmates have it. In my country EVERY single inmate in jail has an official right to be "outdoors" (which can also be a small area with direct sunlight and air) for a minimum of one hour each day.