NEW HAMPSHIRE — A New Hampshire man is celebrating his release from a prison psych ward, but the fight isn't over yet.
Andrew Butler was released to his father, Doug, last week after being committed to the Secure Psychiatric Unit against his will when he sought treatment for mental health issues.
Butler's father said the duo's first hug outside the SPU's walls was one he won't forget.
"He was real happy, and I was happy," Butler's father said.
Butler's discharge is conditional, and the state still has control over his life.
"In this situation, I don't know how far the state of New Hampshire's control extends," Butler's father said. "If we go to California, can they phone up the police and have us extradited?"
Under the terms of the conditional release, travel outside of the state is prohibited with pre-approval and a medical plan.
Butler's father wants to move his son to Massachusetts to seek care, where he can't be placed inside the SPU again.
"I would prefer our own doctors, and not be involved with the state," Butler's father said.
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For now, the family is grateful to be together, and they're planning for a future they thought they might never have.
"Andrew and I have a life to live," Butler's father said.
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