He was out free because our Mental Health system is trash. It does nothing and I know first hand, how useless they can be.
When my brother was CLEARLY having psychotic episodes, he would be taken in to a mental hospital for 2 to 4 days. He would begin taking meds, mostly lithium and they would then send him on his merry way.
Everything would go back to where it was within a week or two. My Mom would work hard to find Group Homes for him and that would work for awhile. But she had to do all of the work to try and keep him in his meds and taking them and getting his groceries etc. If it wasn't for my double Pisces Mother, he would have been a transient, living in a park somewhere.
The Mental health system knew he believed the CIA was after him. He was convinced that Johnny Carson was the main operative after him. My brother actually drove to Los Angeles from SF, and got a ticket for Johhny's show. And stood up from the audience and rushed the stage screaming at him....
that ^^ only got him 4 days in the Psych Ward. And they let him out on the streets of LA, where he didnt know anyone and had no place to go. My brother had to drive down and find him and drive back home, while he was still in full blown meltdown.