by State Rep. Tom Leonard
The topic of mental health has been widely discussed recently, especially in the wake of the tragedies in Newtown, Conn. and Aurora, Colo. Polls have found that eight in 10 Americans support investing in mental health programs because of such events, but state and even federal budget constraints often mean that mental health funding falls to the wayside.
Unfortunately, this was the case in Michigan as well, where, due to budget limitations, many of our own psychiatric facilities have been closed over the years. Left without a place to receive care and treatment, many of the state’s mentally ill entered the criminal justice system, forcing jails and prisons to function as mental hospitals as well. According to the Michigan Department of Corrections, nearly 20% of the state’s 43,000 inmates suffer from some form of mental illness.
Recognizing that the corrections system is not the proper place for many of these individuals, 16 specialized mental health courts have been established in Michigan. These courts are designed to provide non-violent, mentally ill offenders with treatment rather than jail time. Similar specialty courts, such as drug courts and veterans’ courts, have been set up in Michigan as well and have been successful addressing the needs of these populations.
In Genesee County, both adult and juvenile mental health courts have been created in an effort to improve public safety and also help those with mental illness stay on their medications, and receive the treatment they need. As a former prosecutor, and the clerk to the Genesee County Probate Judge when these specialty courts were created, I saw firsthand how effective they can be.
Currently there are no statewide guidelines on how future courts should be established. For that reason, House Bills 4694-4697 were introduced in May, building a blueprint for specialty courts. As a co-sponsor of these bills, I look forward to seeing them progress through the legislature in the coming months.
Mental health courts give judges, prosecutors, local communities and our entire state one more way to address problems within the justice system. If those offenders with mental health issues can receive the help they need before committing violent crimes, our state will not only save on prison costs, but also be much safer.