CSAC News Conference Supports National Mental Health Initiative
Goal: Reduce the Number of Mentally Ill in County Jails
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 5, 2015
Contact: Gregg Fishman, 916-327-7500, ext. 516, 916-342-9508 (cell)
The number of people with mental illnesses in the U.S. criminal justice system has reached a crisis level. The current approach strains budgets, does not do enough to improve public safety and does not sufficiently help people with mental illness, their families or their communities. As part of a national effort to reduce the number of people with mental illness in the system, the California State Association of Counties is gathering state and county officials from across California on Thursday to discuss new state and national initiatives that address this issue. More information about the Stepping Up Initiative is available here.
- DATE: Thursday, May 7, 2015
- TIME: 10:30 a.m. (PST)
- PLACE: North Steps State Capitol, (L Street side)
- AVAILABLE: Via Webcast. Register at https://stepuptogether.org/events
WHO:
- Robert Hertzberg, State Senator
- Darrell Steinberg, Former California Senate President Pro Tem
- Riki Hokama, National Association of Counties President and Maui County Council Member
- Sandra Hutchens, Orange County Sheriff
- Dr. Renee Binder, American Psychiatric Association President-Elect
- Mack Jenkins, San Diego County Chief Probation Officer
- Matt Cate, CSAC Executive Director
WHAT: Discussing California legislation and programs aimed at reducing the number of mentally ill in county jails and supporting the Stepping Up initiative led by the National Association of Counties, the Council for State Governments Justice Center and the American Psychiatric Foundation.
Additional Background
More than 2 million adults with serious mental illnesses are admitted to county jails nationally each year. Once incarcerated, people with mental illnesses tend to stay longer in jail and are at a higher risk of re-incarceration than individuals without these illnesses. Jails spend two to three times more on people with mental illnesses than they do on people without those needs. The additional time and resources devoted to these individuals strain budgets and burden taxpayers while not doing enough to improve individual outcomes or public safety. Reducing the number of mentally ill in the criminal justice system by providing responsible alternatives can save money, reduce recidivism, improve public safety and provide better outcomes for the offenders.
