Senator Jim Banks of Indiana joined a cluster of conservative voices on Wednesday in urging a return to large-scale psychiatric institutions after what they described as a shooting by a transgender suspect at a Catholic mass in Minneapolis. “When you affirm mental illness instead of treating it, people get hurt,” Banks said in remarks circulated online. The comments have reignited a longstanding debate over how the United States manages severe mental illness. Advocates of reopening state-run asylums argue that current community-based systems leave dangerous gaps, while mental-health organizations warn that institutionalization can lead to civil-rights abuses and inadequate care. Minnesota officials have not yet released detailed information about casualties or the suspect’s background.