Mother: My son needs treatment, not jail time

Suzy King says her son doesn't belong behind bars.

He just needs help.

Shannon King is charged with burglary and assault for an April 14 attack on his mother that she attributes to her son's mental illness.

"He snaps. I mean the kid goes into a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," Suzy King said.

Shannon King is being held on a $10,000 bond in the Minnehaha County Jail, where his mother said he isn't getting the treatment he needs.

It's a case that some advocates say illustrates the need for a new approach to handling criminal cases involving mental health issues.

"We are long overdue for a mental health court in our state and community," said Phyllis Arends, executive director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Sioux Falls.

A Second Circuit judge recently floated such an idea. Judge Doug Hoffman of Sioux Falls is working to build support for an alternative court that would focus on rehabilitating mentally ill defendants rather than locking them up.

Suzy King said her son attacked her during a schizophrenic incident at their home in Valley Springs. Shannon dragged her eight blocks, across grass and gravel, from their home to a beauty salon she operates. He kicked open the back door, dragged her inside, then laid down on the ground to nap, she said, leaving her with a bloody nose and a scraped up back.

Shannon King's criminal history includes four misdemeanor assault cases, two disorderly subjects cases and a handful of petty thefts, all of which his mother says stemmed from his schizophrenia.

Her family has been dealing with his mental illness since he was 9, she said. What was initially flagged as Attention Deficit Disorder worsened and was diagnosed as schizophrenia at age 18, she said. Her son won't take medication because he doesn't think anything is wrong with him, she said, and she can't force him because he's an adult.

Phone calls to Shannon King's lawyer were not returned.

Many mentally ill defendants like King's son find themselves in a cycle of entering and exiting the jails and prison, Arends said.

After hearing about Judge Hoffman's mental health court proposal, Suzy King became a supporter.

"That's what we need," King said. "It could solve some problems."

Mental health court would seek to have a defendant evaluated and then prescribe a treatment program recommended for that person to follow. Defendants who follow the program for one to two years could see the charges dismissed.

Judge Hoffman said he has spoken with officials at the South Dakota Unified Judicial System about establishing a mental health court. He said he's heard positive feedback so far. The next step, he said, is getting together with members of the mental health community to assess the need.

"I think there is beginning to be a consensus that there needs to be a better way to deal with this specific group," Hoffman said.

Minnehaha County State's Attorney Aaron McGowan said he couldn't comment on King's son's case because it is still pending. But he said if there is a proven, evidence-based model for a mental health court, he would be open to the idea.

For now, Suzy King said she will attend her son's court proceedings hoping the criminal justice system won't fail him again.

"How do you punish a person like that?" King said. "He doesn't even understand what he's done."