Emergency Cases

Tired!!!!! Went to a prison on the "Emergency Case" Catherine called me about on Thursday. I evaluated him yesterday on New Years Eve. It was a really difficult interview that took about two hour longer than usual. His history is very long and complex. I came home New Years Eve and was just utterly exhausted--both emotionally and physically. Intended to get the staffing written up last night. This was just an emotionally exhaustive case. I felt like I'd been drained of blood and life. Instead of getting the staffing written up last night, I fell asleep on the couch.


Got up very early and wrote the staffing from about 3 am until 9 am. Then, I called my bosses at home on New Years Day and we did the staffing. Basically, there's no way to avoid referring this man. All of us are in a state of shock that he's not been caught, charged and convicted far more often than he has. Can't face living with myself if I don't refer this man. There is simply too much risk that he will re-offend if he's outside of a highly structured environment and without treatment he has literally no reasonable probability of not re-offending. So, I've been writing the report all day. I should have it finished by late tomorrow. If either the AG or the State's Attorney decides to take our advice and files on him, we'll need to be in court no less than 72 hours after they file. I've got another big trial hundreds of miles from here on the 9th.

These are the difficult days. Thankfully, they pass. These are the days that you just keep putting one foot in front of the other (or in my case, one finger tapping after the next). The work just has to be done! So, you do it. Ideally he'll get the treatment he so desperately needs and deserves. His offense history is so extensive. Ideally, there will be no more victims--ever--at his hands.