The Ableist and White Supremacist Origins of US Policing and Connections to Involuntary Hospitalization

This paper discusses the impact of White supremacy, ableism, and U.S. policing on both the history and current state of psychology and sheds light on ways that psychologists can acknowledge and divest from carceral White supremacist practices in mental healthcare. Because of how oppression and intersectionality function within a White supremacist society, not all Black lives have been equally valued by non-Black Americans. Similarly, White supremacy and ableism have had lasting impacts on the public perception of disabled people. Connecting the historical origins of the U.S. policing system to the current practices of the U.S. police system, this paper argues that the police have always been about controlling disorder. Similarly, psychology and the larger mental health field have a troubled history of controlling Black, Brown, and disabled bodies. Recommendations for ways therapists can unlearn therapy practices stemming from White supremacy cultural practices (e.g., carceral therapeutic practices and biased mental health care) are provided along with action items for mental health practitioners to maintain a commitment to undoing the harm from these historic and systemic issues.

Automated summary

This paper discusses the impact of White supremacy, ableism, and U.S. policing on psychology, emphasizing the need for psychologists to divest from carceral White supremacist practices in mental healthcare. It highlights the unequal value placed on Black lives and the lasting effects of White supremacy and ableism on the perception of disabled individuals. The paper argues that both the U.S. policing system and the mental health field have a history of controlling marginalized bodies, and provides recommendations and action items for therapists to unlearn harmful practices stemming from these issues.