Red Cloth

It's depressing to think of who would want to live here, and why they would think they'd have no other choice.

i agree i could not think of anyhtink worse, think how creepy that would be at night time!

I think falling asleep at night would be a thousand times worse simply because you'd do nothing but think about how low you've sunk. Wow...this is depressing.

maybe these people living here spent time here when it was opened (only home they feel comfortable in) scary thought but stranger things have happened.

people actually live here.....shows you what state our country is in....

almost looks like somebody's still in it....

"people actually live here.....shows you what state our country is in"

Until you have lived with a person who is mentally ill I'm not certain you can grasp the dispair that those closely related feel, this is because the "patient " will have no ones help. Be it addiction or psychological, the reason doesn't matter. What does matter is that people who end up living in a place like this generally do it to themselves due to an unwillingness to accept help. It has absolutely nothing to do with the country you live in.

Pepple don't do it to themselves because they are unwilling to get help. Mental illness is just that, an illness. It changes the way a person thinks. Sometimes it cause paranoia. A person suffering from paranoia is not likely to trust someone to give them help. Also because of the nature of the illness mentally ill people may not realize they need any help.

Seems ironic that they could get themselves arrested and moved to a nicer cell with 3 meal a day, and electricity, heat, cable, library, gym, who knows what else???

A. Mom,

True, isolation from those who care the most is a manifestation of the illness. I was married to a Bi-Polar, and know all too well. Imagine the Motts of the future taking shots of our current facilities. Will the future Motts be similarly appalled by our current lack of knowledge concerning mental illness? Do you think locking the mentally ill, and homeless into an institution would make them any happier? Warmer and fuller perhaps, but happier? I would have loved to cram lithium and prozac into my ex but that's obviously not what she wanted. After 7 years of near homelessness It seems she may be on an upswing, I bid her the best but until she accepts the medicine herself there is nothing anyone can do.

What I am saying is that the illness itself sometimes does not allow that person to understand that they need help. There is a reason why they are unwilling to accept the help and it is the illness itself. When something is messing with your mind you really don't think so rationally. It is something VERY frustrating for the people who love them. It is just not simply something they do to themselves, it is more something that is happening to them. Mental illness is not a choice. There is nothing worse than wanting to help someone and them not even understanding that they need help. I am not saying that locking them up is the right or wrong treatment. I am saying is that it is not thier fault, nor is it the fault of thier loved ones. It is the fault of a cruel illness that distorts the way they see things. I am not speaking as someone who has never had experience with mental illness. It sounds to me as though you cared deeply for your ex. However, sometimes to protect your own mental health you have to leave a situation. I am sure that your heart was broken a lot of the time. I am merely saying here that no person is to blame, the illness is.

OMG! I can't believe people actually lived in that....

Please remember this is no longer a jail, it is a port from the storm, they have sunk low in our opinion, but are dry and warm.

Anji, did you mean to rhyme that last statement??

Shoot them all I say! Yes, my opinion however, rude you find it.
Living like that is just waiting to die and I am here to expidite the process.

found some people shooting up in a similar cell. decided to cut our trip a little short.

Gee, Yaggy, I can't imagine why.

Yeesh ... glad I live where our biggest worry is finding somebody's pot field in the middle of nowhere.

Ah, I was talking with people who did urbex in some really horrible inner city neighborhoods. They actually found a prison like this (maybe even the same one!) and went in. The nice thing is all the vandals tend to pass it over because they are too terrified of the people inside, but these guys that went in said the drifters who lived there were amazingly nice. They couldn't believe that anyone would actually want to explore the place so they were happy to show the group around. I don't know, my experience with drifters and addicts have always been positive as well. Sometimes you have to hand over a little money to get them off your back, but for the most part they just go about their business without paying you any attention.

FREAKY!!!!

rude opinion - thick opinion.. tomato - tom-ah-toe..

I NEVER WANT TO GO BACK

I've never been homeless, but I think I can understand why people would want to live here. It isn't just the fault of the government (although they do own a small portion of blame) it's a number of contributing factors that lead to a person losing their home. When you can't make rent or mortgage (which has happened to me and it's a scary thing) and if you have no family or friends to turn to (which thankfully I do have) then you can find yourself homeless with no place to go. And it's all a downhill struggle from there. It's very hard to hold down a job with no bed to get your 8 hours in, no shower to keep yourself clean, and probably crappy food cause you have no means of refridgerating or cooking said food. So you lose the job and have a very slim chance of getting another one. Which means affording another place to live is out of the question. So in this situation, if given the choice between staying in a shelter, where there are dozens of people breathing down your neck, or staying here in the relative peace and quiet...I'd probably choose to stay here too. It isn't just mentally ill people or former patients that frequent these places. Sometimes it's people who, a few years ago, probably had all the luxaries and conveniences we have today. It's sad but it doesn't mean they're mentally ill.

Do you think that maybe these people had no where to turn? No family or friends? Not all places have homeless shelters, and once you get into a rut, it is VERY hard to get out of. I have a few friends that when I met them they were homeless, it takes a lot to get out of that rut, and if you have no one helping you, showing you the way, you are more likely never to get out of it.

most likely people use the area for safer housing at night they probably dont stay long , stll i agree its very sad.

i love this shot!!! but i also lov a lot of twisted, sick things!!! thats how i roll!!!!!!

Looks like someone has been sleeping there.

Signed: An American Soldier stationed in Mannheim, Germany.

12:46 A.M. / Saturday / 29 / July / 2007

its so sad to even think that homeless people
live in this really old rotting jail must be very scary at night.

Its probably infinitely safer than trying to fend for themselves on the street. At least here they have shelter, not to mention a much smaller amount of other persons around who may or may not be threats themselves.

In the 1970's the government came up with an amazing plan wherein they'd liberate and vacate the sick institutions and mainstream the occupants into society.They would follow-up with half-way houses,monoriting,meds,and council.
Great plan.
Only for some unknown reason the gov didn't follow-up.
Well that was a while ago,and we have new generations of homeless.And things have gotten harder.
New auto used to cost $2000.You could grocery shop for a family of 7 with $25.
Sure,we (some of us)are paid more,but it takes more.There was a time when "mortgage"was a dirty word.Now rent is as much or more than a mortgage,but its' harder to qualify for a mortgage.
A family burned-out of an apartment.Can't get up the one month security deposit,the escrow,one month rent advance or cost of moving van.
A doctor hit with malpractice suits-right or wrong-can't maintain his/her level of living.
Someone with medical expense living one paycheck from the street experiences an emergency.
Car repairs.Damn car repairs.
People are insensitive to these people.

And this cell looks downright cozy.

god that is low but when you that low its hard to get up?

The hard thing about being homeless is that to get a place to live, you need a bank account, and money. To get a bank account, you need proof of address - which you can't get unless you have a home. To get a job, you need an employment history and references, both things that you'd be lacking for the duration of your homelessness. Homeless people are no longer a part of society, and it is hard even for someone completely healthy mentally to start over basically from scratch. In many cases, it's impossible without outside assistance, and that assistance can be hard to find.

I've never been homeless, but I know people who have, and for all of them the hardest thing has been re-entering society. These were people without mental illnesses or drug problems, just people who had sufficient financial hardship that they were unable to afford somewhere to live.

I suffer from Bipolar and i have a constant fear of being homeless,it's always in the back of my mind.I really thank those who show compassion and understanding for mental illness,so many people are ignorant and think we are killers or theives or something horrible inside,were just like everyone else only our seratonein levels are different.DG...

So THAT'S where I left my red shirt! Things were a little foggy that day.

Wow, I can imagine rather being here tho than in the forest or laying on a street....

otis cambells cell

This whole image is priceless.

Once an active jail cell that housed angry, violent, vicious criminals for years is now a last refuge for the most desolate and hopeless of our population.

The suffering goes on....only now it is not the criminals who are tormented but those that society has turned their backs on.