The crime rate in America has gone up in the past years, however, not as drastic as crime due to schizophrenia. Many people who are being tried or have been tried in a criminal setting have used this as an out, in order to escape harsher punishment. Under no circumstance should you be given any special treatment or be tried any differently if you use this excuse. If anything, you should be tried even harder. Due to the many medical advances and the new medicines doctors have come up with, there are many ways to cope and treat this disorder/disease. If people commit a crime and decide later that they dont want to do it, then they usually use an excuse that they have mental problems and thats why they do it. and a lot of people who dont have schizophrenia are blaming it on that. It is a growing disease and it is really scary, and if people do have that, and they have it bad they shouldnt be allowed to be out alone because who knows what they might end up doing and they could hurt a lot of innocent people. if someone who doesnt have that diesease tries to say that they do have it then they should be punished worse for the crime that they commited