Straitjackets are jacket-like clothes with very long sleeves that cover the fingertips and beyond. These sleeves are often tried in the dark of a patient in a mental health facility to stop them from harming themselves and those around them. They are symbols of the “crazies that are scary.”
Back in The Day To Now
However, this was back in the 1790s to around the 1860s. Nowadays straitjackets are not as used as restraints in mental health facilities as they once were. Medicine and treatment have advanced to the point that they are no longer needed to help with treating mental illness. In short, they have been replaced with other physical methods to stop patients from hurting themselves and those around them. The doctors and nurses have better tools, techniques as well as more staffing to keep their patients and themselves safe.
What Changed
A lot changes with time from slots, fashion, and even Straitjackets. Straitjackets are now viewed as being an infringement on the liberties of the patients. And the doctors’, as well as facilities’, ethos has changed over time to not allow this to happen. While they may have been used to treat and restrain mentally ill patients they are no longer used as such.
However, you can still find them around, just not in mental facilities. There have been reports that some can use them to help with Alzheimer’s disease or autism. But, the main type of location that straitjackets have moved to are jails.
In 2014 the Treatment Advocacy Center in America referred to jails and prisons as “new asylums”. There is a claim that these places house about ten times more mentally ill people than mental facilities. Furthermore, some of the prisons do not follow hospital standards.
While in 2010 the American Bar Association made a statement in their Standards on Treatment of Prisoners, which says that jail, prisons, and any other types of correctional facilities cannot and should not use anything to physically restrain their prisoners. This not only includes straitjackets, but handcuffs, leg irons, and spit masks.
However, it would be fair to say that some may not hold up to this statement. Hence, why you would be more likely to find straitjackets in these types of locations.
What Else Can They Be Used For
Straitjackets have become more of a symbol for the old-school view of “crazy” this is why you can see a lot of movies about asylums that have them as part of their costume department. Plus, straitjackets have also been used in magic shows since they are difficult to get out of. Hence, when someone does it is magic.
Some people may even find sexual pleasure from wearing these items, while others view them as fashion. Such as in 2019 when Gucci made a runway show with straitjackets. This did catch some backlash, when one of the models, Ayesha Tan Jones, protested the use of straitjackets with the words “mental health is not fashion” on their palms while walking the runway wearing the outfit with their palms up.
But Gucci did make a statement saying that the straitjackets and the other items in the show were to show the extreme restriction that society has and can put on people. However, nowadays straitjackets seem to be used for sexual fantasy (the sexy designed ones) and as costumes. There is some “re-imagining” of the straitjacket without the restraining element of it. Therefore, the very long sleeves and some belts or buttons in the front.
The best use of straitjackets would be that it is a reminder of the past and how far we have come when it comes to mental health treatment.
And you could also view some designs of the straitjacket in museums. But, the best is not to put one on since they are difficult to get out of. It would make it hard to do anything like playmobile casinos, wash your sponges or type on the computer, etc.
