Helping Mentally Ill Criminals
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Jailing offenders with mental illness serves no one, but new policies are bringing about needed changes.
By Donna Lyons
April 2007
Fifty-year-old Eddie has spent much of his life in and out of prison for crimes that included drug possession, larceny and burglary. Often homeless, he recalls his stints in jail as a respite from the overwhelming task of taking care of himself. Last fall, Eddie, a grandfather, reached an important turning point in his life. He became the first client discharged from a mental health court in Santa Fe, N.M. Similar to drug courts, the specialized courts are designed to help people like Eddie get mental health treatment, manage their lives and stay out of jail.
“It’s amazing to see the changes in someone over a year with the services and supervision of this court,” says Lupe Sanchez, program manager for the court in the First Judicial District in Santa Fe. Most clients are probation violators. A tough customer, Eddie spent as much as 20 years behind bars, Sanchez said. “Mental health services and case management can help a guy like him go from having no structure and responsibility to being able to live self-sufficiently. No doubt he otherwise would be in jail.”
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