In September 2008 Thomas Scantling attacked DeWayne Thomas on a Philadelphia subway with a hammer. Thomas was returning home late that night after work as a lab technician at the University of Pennsylvania. He was asleep at the time the attack occurred.
Scantling gently sat his little son in an open seat, reached into his backpack, pulled out a hammer, viciously attacked Thomas, then pulled him from the train. Thomas will not ride the train now. Cannot ride the train now. I am not qualified to diagnose Thomas, but I would not be very surprised if he had mental issues stemming from that attack.
Friday, Scantling was sentenced to four to 10 years in prison. During the time of the attack, Scantling was being treated for schizophrenia. He was in treatment.
I work in the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center of the VA hospital in Baltimore. If someone like Scantling came to our center for service, he would have been informed about recovery from his illness and encouraged to consider recovery goals and wellness.
Scantling stopped taking his anti-psychotic medication, but did choose to take PCP and other illegal drugs to "soothe" him.
This case is not about Scantling being in treatment or recovery. It is not about justice or just us. It is about choice. Scantling chose to stop taking medication and use illegal street drugs instead. The consequences of his choices are that now there are two people who need to be in recovery. Two families who went through an traumatic event, who will be forever changed.
Having choices is part of recovery. It is joined at the hip with personal responsibility!
Scantling gently sat his little son in an open seat, reached into his backpack, pulled out a hammer, viciously attacked Thomas, then pulled him from the train. Thomas will not ride the train now. Cannot ride the train now. I am not qualified to diagnose Thomas, but I would not be very surprised if he had mental issues stemming from that attack.
Friday, Scantling was sentenced to four to 10 years in prison. During the time of the attack, Scantling was being treated for schizophrenia. He was in treatment.
I work in the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center of the VA hospital in Baltimore. If someone like Scantling came to our center for service, he would have been informed about recovery from his illness and encouraged to consider recovery goals and wellness.
Scantling stopped taking his anti-psychotic medication, but did choose to take PCP and other illegal drugs to "soothe" him.
This case is not about Scantling being in treatment or recovery. It is not about justice or just us. It is about choice. Scantling chose to stop taking medication and use illegal street drugs instead. The consequences of his choices are that now there are two people who need to be in recovery. Two families who went through an traumatic event, who will be forever changed.
Having choices is part of recovery. It is joined at the hip with personal responsibility!
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