In an editorial, the Washington Post (7/31) observed that the number of people with mental illnesses “in many detention facilities – local jails, especially – has been soaring, forcing the institutions into the role of treatment centers, for which they are unprepared.” To prevent strain on its jail and to stop incarcerating people with mental illness “who commit relatively minor crimes,” Montgomery County, MD “is moving swiftly to establish mental-health courts.” The goal “is to divert qualified defendants charged with nonviolent crimes…from jail to supervised treatment regimens.” The Post hailed the plan as an “excellent idea.”
Related Links:
— “A step forward for mentally ill defendants,” Editorial Board, Washington Post, July 31, 2016.