List members would be interested in this article, “Too Many Monsters in Our Closet, posted at History News Network in reaction to the mass shooting in Colorado last month. 

As I point out in my comments, there is a lot missing in Striner’s coverage of the history of recent developments in the treatment of persons with mental illness.  Deinstitututionalization didn’t work because the promised community support systems (e.g. outpatient treatment centers, job training, supportive housing), were poorly funded and/or never created in the first place.  The fact that many Americans are un- or underinsured, especially when it comes to treatment of mental illness, adds to the problem.