Paul Barrows spends his nights half expecting a late-night call from his son, who is prone to manic late-night walks that leave him lost and disoriented. Barrows’ son, who’s is his thirties and lives with schizoaffective disorder, has recently found a modicum of stability at a Fort Worth group home after languishing for over two years in Denton County Jail due to a backlog of psychiatric hospital beds. Barrows asked that the Texas Observer not use his son’s name to protect his privacy.
When early voting recently opened across the state, Barrows told the Observer that he thought about his son when he voted against Proposition 3, the constitutional amendment that would require judges to deny bail to defendants accused of certain crimes punishable as a felony. The longtime federal law enforcement officer believes the measure will disproportionately harm people like his son who have had run-ins with the law due to mental health crises.
“The state is refusing to address the mental health concerns in the community,” he said. “The general public doesn’t always understand the ramifications of what they are voting for. All they see is the term ‘violent felonies,’ and I don’t think the public understands how that affects those with mental health issues.”
