Opinion ID: 2995876
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Brown’s Medical History

Text: Brown’s medical records reflect that he was initially diagnosed to be suffering from chronic schizophrenia1 in 1986 while incarcerated in the Menard Correctional Facility in southern Illinois. During his period of confinement, Brown was found to be unable to function in the minimum security unit of the facility because he was mentally incapable of following the orders of the security personnel and counselors, which in turn necessitated his transfer to the prison’s psychiatric unit. Brown’s treating psychiatrist at Menard, Dr. Vallabhaneni, noted in his reports throughout 1986 that Brown had “no ability to communicate” and had admitted to hearing voices that “help him to do his time.” Dr. Vallabhaneni diagnosed him as suffering from chronic schizophrenia and prescribed various anti-psychotic medications for Brown on a regular basis and continued to treat his mental illness until his release in 1988. During the defendant’s period of treatment, Dr. Vallabhaneni noted on at least 1 Schizophrenia is a “common type of psychosis, characterized by abnormalities in perception, content of thought, and thought processes (hallucinations and delusions) and by extensive withdrawal of interest from other people and the outside world, with excessive focusing on one’s own mental life.” Stedman’s Medical Dictionary 1601 (27th ed. 2000). 4 No. 01-2326 four occasions in 1986 and 1987 that Brown was “probably hallucinating,” and that Brown was not only uncooperative, but demonstrated little or no insight into the existence of his psychiatric problems and frequently refused to take his prescribed medication. Throughout this period Brown insisted that he was not mentally ill and spoke very little about his mental condition with Dr. Vallabhaneni. After nearly two years of confinement and treatment, Dr. Vallabhaneni noted on May 1, 1988 that Brown’s psychiatric problems are “in a chronic state and he is not making any progress or worsening either.” In 1989, after Brown’s release from prison, he applied for Social Security disability benefits. As part of his application for benefits, Dr. Mark Amdur, a consulting psychiatrist for the Social Security Administration, evaluated Brown and once more diagnosed him as suffering from chronic schizophrenia. Dr. Amdur observed and diagnosed the following symptoms: impaired concentration and attention, stilted speech with moderately severe irrelevancy and illogicality, loosened associations, and auditory hallucinations. Additionally, Dr. Amdur interviewed Brown’s mother, who is a nurse, about his mental state, and she advised the doctor that his “mind is random” and that he makes sense one minute and then “goes into autistic position and talks to himself.” Brown’s mother also reported that he told her that he heard voices. Unfortunately, not one of these records referred to above was reviewed by the court-appointed mental health doctors who examined Brown, much less introduced into evidence by Brown’s attorneys at his state criminal trial.