Judge steven liefmans biography channel

Miami-Dade County Judge Steve Leifman has just stepped down from the bench after 30 years. He’s internationally known for developing major reforms of how the criminal justice system deals with people who have mental illnesses; he’s even been honored by Pope Francis.

Leifman says his career has coincided exactly with the de-institutionalization of people with mental illnesses, 48 years ago. At that time, most people with mental illnesses were in institutional care, such as in a psychiatric hospital. Leifman was a year-old legislative intern, sent to look into a constituent’s complaint about the way her son was being treated in institutional care.

“And I find Jonathan and he is in a bed with all four-point restraints.

Judge Steven Leifman, JD - Kaiser Permanente Institute for ...

And he’s probably , pounds overweight from the Thorazine that they are injecting him with. And he’s screaming and crying and carrying on and moaning. Out of a horror movie. And it was way be Hon. Steve Leifman - National Association of Counties DUJY