When President Trump mused that the mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla., in February might have been prevented if the United States had more mental institutions, he revived a not-quite-dormant debate: Should the country bring back asylums?
- The Editorial Board
- The New York Times
Psychiatric facilities are unlikely to prevent crimes similar to the Parkland shooting because people are typically not committed until after a serious incident.
Still, a string of news articles, editorials and policy forums have noted that plenty of mental health experts agree with the president’s broader point.
The question of whether to open mental institutions tends to divide the…