Ill Mental is a program offered by Loving Beyond Reason that puts money on the books of mentally challenged inmates, that are currently incarcerated, and whose families have registered with Ill Mental / Loving Beyond Reason, in order to receive this service.

The idea was conceived by our son, who found himself incarcerated, during a manic episode. Once he received the necessary medication and was able to fully realize the nature of his situation, he had to wait in jail, while we worked to get him released. During the waiting period, he observed that there were inmates that were very intelligent, like himself, once they were given proper medication. The problem was, that didn’t change the dynamics of prison life – they were still in jail after all.

Prison life operated on a hierarchy. Those with access to money, were more secure than those without access to money. The food they were given was a bare nutritional minimum – it was jail after all. Those who were on the inside, the ones with access to money, would horde over those without, and form clicks, or families. The division, based on money, was the basis of most of the arguments and fights, and it didn’t seem fair to our son.

He proposed a solution. He realized that, like him, most of the inmates in his ward, were there on charges that had a basis in mental illness, and only needed help to level the playing field. He asked us to inquire at our local churches and help him raise money so that he could put money on everyone’s books who needed it. From his perspective, this would erase the financially based hierarchal system.

Now, before you start to think, why should people in prison deserve better, an example of his daily breakfast was a boiled egg, milk or orange juice, and a banana, while those with money had access to vending machines, and prepackaged food baskets. But remember, the more fortunate inmates would use the extra food to invite their “families” or clicks to “feasts”, and leave that rest wanting. Was it the end of the world – no, but the fights that would ensue, could have been for an end for him, and was for some.

Local churches were more than willing to help, so each week, we would walk the cash into the jail in downtown Los Angeles and put $25 on each of the inmate’s books that requested help. When he was moved to another ward, he would continue to help his previous wards, with our help, and simply add his new ward to the list.

The Love (Beyond Reason) that was shown to most of the inmates was so appreciated, that we still save some of the countless letters we were sent. They would describe extremely desperate, conditions that they grew up in, and that this service was the most love they had ever received, and considered our son, and our family their angels.

Thank God our son is back home with us, and is doing much better, but that was only due to the Love – Beyond Reason, that we had, and still have for our children, and our son asked us to extend to the inmates he met in jail. By the way, on the joyous day that we were able to go down to the jail for the last time, and pick our son up, the sheriffs, pulled us aside and told us they had never seen anything like it in all of their service. The atmosphere in each floor or ward our son was on, quickly became more civil, because of his ministry.

That’s why we need your help. In addition to donations, we need volunteers in every city in America! We want to extend the same service in your city. Once we have at least three volunteers in a city, we can open that city to the program. Your donations of money, and/or volunteering your time will help start a new beginning for inmates who need it most. Those that have found themselves incarcerated, for no reason other than being ill.