🛑 SYSTEM FAILURE: When Mental Illness Is Met with Prison, Not Help

It’s been nearly 3 years since Craig Breidenbach was ripped from our lives—not by violence, but by a system that failed him in the darkest moment of his life.

In July 2022, Craig—my husband, a loving father of three—was in the middle of a severe, documented bipolar episode. He was actively psychotic, paranoid, and delusional. We BEGGED for help from both local police and the mental health system. We told them something was wrong. We told them he wasn’t safe. We told them we weren’t safe. We weren’t asking for punishment—we were pleading for medical care.

We were dismissed. Ignored. Brushed off.

And then tragedy struck—a heartbreaking accident happened during that mental health crisis. A nightmare no one could undo. But what followed was even more horrifying: instead of receiving medical treatment, Craig was sentenced to 25 years in prison, as if his illness were a choice… as if we hadn’t tried everything we could to prevent it.

Let me be clear:

Craig didn’t need a cage. He needed compassion.

We now have proof that our voices are reaching the highest levels of government. On June 26, 2025, we received direct confirmation that the White House has forwarded our letter to a federal agency for review. This is not the end—it’s the beginning of real hope.

But we need the public more than ever right now.

🔁 Share this petition.

✍️ Add your name.

🗣️ Be loud. Be unrelenting.

Let’s be the voice for those locked away and misunderstood. Let’s fix a system that criminalizes crises instead of treating them. Let’s fight for Craig—and everyone like him who was failed by the very institutions meant to protect them.

💥 Mental illness is not a crime. Being ignored shouldn't be a death sentence. And asking for help should NEVER lead to 25 years behind bars.

Thank you for standing with us. We are NOT done fighting.

— Amanda Breidenbach

Wife, Advocate, and Voice for Craig

#JusticeForCraig #IAMCRAIG #VoiceUnlocked  #MentalHealthIsNotACrime