I was recently involuntarily held in a mental hospital where I went through prison like conditions (strip search, had to wear scrubs, was locked in a room outside certain times a day, stuff like that) and thankfully came out in one piece after 8 days of this crap. I was just wondering why we subject people to these conditions when they haven’t even committed a crime?
Because it is a prison. It’s meant as a threat to hold over you to keep you afraid and not talk and prevent you from getting competent care from medical professionals. It’s also an easy throwaway place where society can chuck the “undesirables” and forget about them. It’s not a hospital. It’s not meant to help you get better. It’s punishment and isolation. That’s the point.