NMHA Lauds Bill to Combat Criminalization of People with Mental Illness

National Mental Health Association
Thursday, 5 June 2003

Legislation Beams Spotlight into Society's Darkest Corners

In our nation's prisons, jails and juvenile detention facilities a shocking number of adults and youth with mental health problems are incarcerated because of the lack of treatment options in the community. With an understanding of this problem, Senator Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, and Representative Ted Strickland, D-Ohio, introduced legislation today to foster collaboration between criminal and juvenile justice and mental health systems.

NMHA welcomes this legislation and applauds the sponsors for beaming a spotlight into the dark corners of America's prisons, jails and juvenile facilities. The sponsors of the bill have proposed answers that are rooted in a fundamental understanding that we are failing the vast numbers of people with mental health problems who too often come into contact with the justice systems because of the lack of community supports.

Criminal and juvenile corrections' systems are ill equipped to handle the needs of people with mental illness. America needs comprehensive programs that enable communities to provide services and supports to those in need.

This bill would authorize funding for a range of community collaboration programs. NMHA particularly welcomes the bill's call for funding to create or expand appropriate community-based treatment services to support diversion of persons from the criminal and juvenile justice systems as well as funding to support community re-entry efforts. NMHA applauds the bill's emphasis on collaboration at the state, community and federal levels, which is critical to ending the fragmentation that often marks the public systems as they come in contact with people with mental health needs.

NMHA embraces the bill's vision of shared administrative roles for officials at the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services who would implement this legislation. NMHA commends the sponsors for incorporating planning grants into the legislation, which would provide a tested mechanism to develop coalitions that can devise strategies for system change. Across the country, Mental Health Associations intend to be actively involved in such coalition building.

The success of the initiatives proposed is dependent on how they are implemented. It is critical, for example, that programs not further criminalize or stigmatize participants, and that the needs and rights of mental health consumers are safeguarded. In fact, people with mental illness who do not abuse alcohol or other drugs are no more violent than the general public. NMHA looks forward to working with the sponsors and the committees to realize our shared goals as this important legislation moves forward.

The National Mental Health Association is the country's oldest and largest nonprofit organization addressing all aspects of mental health and mental illness. With more than 340 affiliates nationwide, NMHA works to improve the mental health of all Americans through advocacy, education, research and service.

For more information, or to contact National Mental Health Association, see their website at: www.nmha.org