Finding a place to rehabilitate Mark is a difficult prospect.
My research has shown that you cannot forcibly place someone in rehabilitation. Even if the person has a brain injury,
there are still many factors to be considered and many of those programs are voluntary.
I found that a lot of
people like to complain about Mark, but rarely do these same people want to step up and commit resources to find a solution...
Until Mark begins to exhibit
truly sensational and harmful behavior; holding a knife to his throat, attacking women or children or walking down
the middle of the street--NAKED, have you ever notice how adding nudity to any situation automatically makes it "serious".
Until these types of things start to happen on a consistent basis, Mark will simply
be "just another alcoholic."
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Is there anyone willing to help Mark? |
Because Mark doesn't have a dramatic or sensational mental
illness (other than clincial depression, which is typically blamed on the alcoholism), he slips through the cracks.
Declaring Mark gravely disabled
or unable to care for himself appears to be an easier categorizable task. Yet, this is where Mark becomes his own
greatest enemy. The only lasting skills Mark seems to possess (besides incredible endurance) is the ability
to charm people and tell them exactly what they want to hear (i.e. "I'm goin' to an AA meeting right now).
Sometimes that's all a weary, beauracracy-based social worker needs to hear in order to set him free. I
sympathize...
Now, it needs to be made clear, I'm
not against Mark's ability to choose freely, but I'm beginning to realize, he's probably going to inadvertantly harm someone
else. It would not surprise me if he wandered into traffic and caused a major accident. It would not surprise
anyone that knows Mark.
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An opportunity arises for Mark... |
After a number of recent drunk in public
arrests and failed court appearances, the PD submitted a report and arrest history to Harbor Municipal Court. A
judge approved some alternate sentencing. Mark was to be released from County Jail and given the chance to
attend the Salvation Army's Adult Rehabilitation Center in Anaheim. It is a well respected treatment program.
If Mark fails this program or is
re-arrested, he will be forced to finish the remainder of his original 270 sentence at county jail.
Hank Lamb of the "Pros & Cons Project" was contacted by the public defender's office to arrange and provide
transportation for Mark from county jail to the Salvation Army's program...
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I met Mark at OCJ...We drove him to the Salvation Army... |
Hank drove, Mark sat shotgun, and I
rode in the back seat. As the three of us left county jail, Mark seemed confused, thinking he was free.
He kept saying, as if trying to convince me, "I'm going to go to an AA meeting".
As we drove to the Salvation
Army, Mark excitedly sang "More Than A Feeling" by Boston. I was amazed how accurate Mark's memory was when it
came to addresses and song lyrics. Maybe he was aware of the opportunity ahead of him?
Then again, I was also amazed at some of the things his memory
was dropping. There were even a couple of times when he didn't even recognize me, which was amazing because at
this point, I had become his closest relationship. Yet, there were other times when he heard my voice and happily called
out, "Oh no, Officer Sperling!"
Although the Salvation Army initially agreed to accept Mark into their program (which is a 24-7, six month
comittment that has jobs, dorms, education, counseling, chapel, and medical services), they backed out when they finally
met Mark. Their concerns had to do with Mark's seizure disorder. I explained that his seizures were controllable
with medication. After a little negotiating and back and forth, they agreed to accept him.
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The Salvation Army rises to the challenge... |
A
few days later, I called and spoke with the counselors at the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center in Anaheim.
They said Mark was making great progress and had really bonded with one of the counselors.
Unfortunately, the well-liked counselor
left on Mark's 10th day. Mark left on the 11th. It also appeared that Mark also misunderstood the program.
I believe the moment he understood he could leave--He did leave.
11 days later Mark left the program and was arrested again in for being drunk in public...
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Mark is engraged...At himself... |
When I spoke to Mark the night
he got picked up after leaving the Salavation Army, he seemed very angry--heavily in denial. He seemed like
the last person in the world that wanted to quit drinking.
My assessement the night Mark left
the Salvation Army was pretty accurate because he got arrested so often over the next few years that it was difficult
to keep track. He was averaging two arrests a week. And many of his contacts with officers were medical aids,
radio calls of a "man down" in the street. Mark would arrive with his face torn up, his feet mangled, and his skin torched
from passing out in the sun. His face began to resemble a catcher's mit and his teeth became cauliflower like nubs of twisted
decay. Every time he came into the jail he was doing, "Just fine, officer!"
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Will Mark ever fully de-rail? |
Mark's ability to survive almost any
ordeal was put to the test one night in the jail when he had a seizure roughly 5 hours after he arrived. He's usually
got about 6 hours before he starts to have alcohol withdrawal issues. For some reason, he had a seizure. Maybe
his blood alcohol level (BAC) was lower than it usually is when he is arrested? Maybe he is now metabolizing
alcohol differently? The body of a chronic alcoholic brings with it many puzzles. It's simply much too difficult
to tell why Mark has a seizure on some days and on others he does not.
One thing is for certain; Mark's entire biological
system is something to behold. I've seen him come to jail with half his head smashed in, only to show up 2 weeks
later and be nearly totally healed. I can go after a pimple on my forehead and the scar will hang around for a
month or more.
Then again, with Mark, I've seen him downgrade real fast, too. There are times that he gets released from
county jail and he looks pretty good, but within two weeks, he looks like he's been digging graves with his face...
We all know that Mark's nutrition
is a joke and he bakes in the sun for days at a time. He doesn't wear sunscreen. Furthermore, the constant ingestion
of alcohol doesn't give him any bonus points in the health column. What gives? There is no doubt that Mark
is special. God surely wants him alive for a reason.
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Mark David Allen racks up the arrests in 2002... |
The night Mark had the seizure,
I was working in the jail office and heard a "choking" sound over the intercom. I moved down the hallway to investigate
and found Mark on a bunk. He was no longer seizing, but he was not breathing, either.
I rolled him to his side, pryed open his muscle-clenched mouth and retrieved a wad of muck that had been blocking
his throat... I then opened and cleared his airway. Moments later, he resumed breathing, albeit, shakily.
I notified the paramedics and they transported the broken and enigmatic king to the hospital...
Mark returned 11 hours later, arrested again for being drunk
in public.
Mark's cognitive functioning continues
to deteriorate. He recently commented he was in the movie "Game Of Death" with Bruce Lee. Often, he will want
to keep the multiple layers of clothes he wears (all of them urine-soaked and nightmarishly filthy). He also tends to
be a bit of a label queen. I've heard him make numerous comments about his "Ralph Lauren socks, Sperry top
siders, Rolex watch and Armani jacket". The truth of the matter is that Mark's wardrobe is strictly transient wear.
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Mark shows me his favorite move... |
Mark was arrested for
being drunk in public again. He had no explanations for his newly shaved head. One of the jailers said they watched
him eat a sandwich for lunch. He then vomited the entire sandwhich onto the floor, looked at it, then re-ate the already
digested sandwhich. Later, Mark masturbated into his lunch tray.
6 hours after Mark had been booked, he had a seizure.
He was in the process of being released. While he was walking down the hallway, he seized and ping-ponged off the corner
of a brick wall. He then crashed to the concrete floor--Face first.
The paramedics transported Mark to the hospital.
When he returned 2 hours later to collect his belongings, he had massive knot on his forehead and a smile on his face.
He said it didn't even hurt. He was then released without incident.
Sometimes Mark's clothes smell so bad that it's
hard to breathe in the same room with him. His clothes are often urine-soaked. Sometimes these are multiple
week old urniations that enable his clothes to stand on their own.
Recently, Mark smelled so awful that one of the jailers actually
used the fire safety breathing apparatus (on land scuba gear) just to book and release him...
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Mark's continually melting mind is a mystery... |
Mark's monologues are getting stranger by the day.
Sometimes, he'll string a phrase together that makes absolutely no sense, like, "You seem like a sophisticated human being
in my illogical jurisdiction, my friend." Then sometimes he'll substitute "integrity" or "perspective" for "jurisdiction".
Mark will say the same phrase once every 2 or 3 minutes.
Mark has also added a very obscene
phrase which he has begun throwning into conversations a few times every 6 hours. If you stop him before he finishes
the phrase, he pauses, then has to continue the phrase until he completes it. All his phrases are followed by a maniacal
cackle that sounds like a cross between a giggling baby and a leprechaun.
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Mark masks his agony with a song... |
Mark's most recent adventures involve
him walking into the 30th Street laundromat. Sometimes he just sleeps in there, other times he takes clothes,
and yet other times, he removes strangers' clothes from the dryers, drops them on the floor and then urinates on
them. Mark will then curl up and go to sleep on the same clothes he just soaked with urine. Needless to say,
the owner of the laundromat is getting upset. Apparently, this is not the first time this has happened.
The laundromat's owner now has court
issued restraining order against Mark. If Mark enters the laundromat, he will be charged with 166.4PC (violation of
a court order). He will be arrested and transported to county jail. The typical sentence expected to be handed
to Mark for such a violation is 30 days (which means 10-20 because of their "early out" policies).
Today, Mark was arrested for entering the
laundromat (violating the restraining order). Mark's attitude fluctuates regarding his presence in the laundromat.
I've heard he say he knows he's not supposed to be in there, but he says it in a fashion that implies it's simply something
he's been told. Does he truly understand this? I'm not sure, because he appears to seem like a kid that's
trying to give the "right" answer. I don't see a lot of depth in his eyes when he talks about this. Then
there are times when Mark says he's never even been inside the laundromat...
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Mark claims his innocence... |
Mark
was transported to County Jail...
After serving 30 days (of a 60 day sentence), Mark got
released and has been in and out of custody (drunk in public arrests) every few days for the last 3 weeks...
Mark has managed to stay out of
the laundromat, but when he does violate the restraining order, it's one of the only times he can be sent him to county jail
because they do not accept drunk in public arrests. County jail also has medical facilities and can administer
Mark his seizure medication.
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Many say Mark should be dead... |
Since Mark really is a medical phenomenon and technically should
have been dead a long time ago, it is the department's policy to have him medically treated and cleared prior to booking
him into the jail.
It is also the police department's policy not to administer
medication to arrestee's while they are in custody. They are either sent to the hospital or county jail, or released.
Essentially, Mark
could repeat this process every 6-8 hours with some proficiency. There are times he does manage to get arrested with
amazing frequency. This cycle continues until Mark
misses a court date. Then a warrant is issued. Like the violation of the restraining order, county jail will also
accept a warrant arrest, even for drunk in public. So eventually, Mark ends up doing time in county jail.
Each trip to county jail is something Mark
hates.
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Mark actually tries to avoid jail... |
I have never seen Mark purposely get arrested to clean up and get "3 hots and a cot" like is often suggested...
For a man who doesn't remove his clothes to
relieve himself and will anything living or dead, a trip to county jail is no reprieve. Frankly, it's one of the few
times Mark ever displays any anger around me. As a free-spirit, jail is the Joker to his Batman...
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Mark is magnetically drawn to the ocean... |
Each trip is also another chance stop the alcoholic self-destruction.
With each catch and release, Mark forges his immorality with a process of drying out and re-generation.
As Mark would say, the enforced jail time that keeps him alive is the ultimate definition of an "Illogical
Jurisdiction"...
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The changes Mark endures over a one month period...August 2002 |
Mark was found unconscious
near the beach by a concerned citizen. The paramedics transported him to the hospital where he was medically cleared
for booking. Mark was administered some sort of anti-seizure medication which never really took effect. The
medication didn't take effect because when
Mark arrived in the jail, Mark promptly puked.
I wondered if his medication
was in his stomach long enough to be absorbed before he threw it up--Nope. Within 5 minutes Mark let out a loud scream
and was on the floor-Having a seizure. It was the 4th time I've seen him have
a seizure and the 2nd time I needed to intervene to keep him from dying.
When Mark's seizure ended, once again,
he couldn't breathe. He was turning blue, fast. When I tired to open his mouth, I found it locked.
Apparently, due to his body position and the seizure, the muscles hadn't relaxed. His jaw was clenched, vise-like.
I continued to work the angles and adjust him.
Finally, I got his head tilted and his mouth open. Still--NO AIR. Mark's mouth and throat were clogged
with goo (it was thick--a mixed batch of vomit, saliva and mucus). His nose was plugged, too. After some time,
I broke through the organic amalgam and excavated the remaining contents of Mark's obstruction. Mark resumed
breathing. Snoring, actually. It sounded like the old bear cave at Disneyland on the way into Bear Country.
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Mark leaves on a stretcher... |
Minutes later, the paramedics arrived. They recognized
Mark from an hour earlier when they found him at the beach. Mark was transported to Hoag Hospital for treatment,
again. Later that night he was out and back on the streets in search of another drink...
A few days later, Mark was arrested for violating
the restraining order at the laundromat again. Apparently a number of court appearances had eclipsed because Mark also
had 6 warrants for failing to appear on his 6 recent drunk in public arrests. Mark was sent to county jail for
the remainder of the year. The way Mark's sentence ran, he would not return to Newport Beach until next year.
Mark desperately needed a New Year's resolution.
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MDA appears to be indestructible... |
It's the
end of 2002 and Mark has put another year of self destruction in the books. What will 2003 hold for him? Maybe
the medical panel on his blood levels will finally show some physical deterioration? Will he meet everyone's expectations
and finally die? Or will he continue to keep, in his own words, "tyring his best"? Whatever happens, Mark continues
to create his legend.
Mark is impervious to destruction...
Unbreakable... His endurance is phenomenal. Mark David Allen lives his life with a ferocity and focus most
people will never know. And that, as strange as it sounds, is something I admire.
* Mark David Allen has contractually agreed to be covered by David
J. Sperling of Furious Love Inc., on this website, in all recording formats, in the ongoing documentary, and in
a book or any other written or photographic materials. Created & Copyrighted by David J. Sperling
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