In their otherwise excellent documentary on mental health in America's prisons, there was a conspicuous absence: Ronald Reagan, who gutted mental health funding in this country.

I remember when, in New York, after the institutions had been closed due to lack of funding, the mentally ill and mostly homeless people were out on the streets -- afraid, angry, sometimes violent. I will never forget the man in pajamas in a wheelchair out in the rain in the middle of a busy intersection, shouting obscenities at passing cars, in a blind rage.

Thank you, Ronald Reagan, for 500,000 mentally ill people taking up time and money and resources in our prison system, where they're getting little or no treatment and facing little prospect of release, let alone becoming productive members of our communities. Thank you for making us how many millions (billions?) of dollars each year keeping the purse snatcher and the bicycle thief locked up for 20 years each.

Thank you, Frontline, for focusing on the problem while totally ignoring the cause.

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