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County to Start Pilot Program for People in Jail with Mental Illness

Posted in General FAQ'S on February 5, 2018

The topic of people with mental illnesses going to jail has been one of great controversy for years. Mental illness and disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder are risk factors for committing crimes. They are also rampant conditions in jails nationwide. One study in San Diego, for example, found the police incarcerated almost 12% of mental health patients in a single year. Criminalizing the mentally ill is something lawmakers in California are making an effort to stop. One step forward is the new pilot program for mentally ill inmates in San Diego County.  

About the San Diego County Pilot Program

In July 2017, supervisors in San Diego County approved a pilot program that aims to help convicted criminals with mental illnesses. The program, manned by Correctional Alternatives, Inc., will apply only to criminals convicted of minor crimes. The goal of the program is to extend help to convicts with mental illnesses and to help them avoid recidivism, or committing crimes again once the county releases them from jail. Supporters of the program believe it will help people with mental illness and criminal records transition more successfully back into the community.

The pilot project will put qualifying convicted criminals with mild to moderate mental illness through therapy sessions, 12-step mental health meetings, and neighborhood support groups. The county will carefully track the participants of the program, evaluating their progress and making recommendations as to their futures. The pilot, based on the Stepping Up Initiative, increased the Sheriff’s Department budget by $1.15 million using state money. It is a year-long pilot that, county staff predict, will become a permanent program in San Diego County.

The program has room for 24 participants and is only accepting men. The men in the program will not have committed any violent or sex-related crimes. The only ones eligible to join the program are those with histories of mental illness and minor misdemeanor convictions. Most participants may also have histories of substance abuse or homelessness. Participation in the pilot program is entirely voluntary. Potential candidates will find out if they are eligible at the time of their sentencing.

What Does the Pilot Program Hope to Achieve?

Correctional Alternatives, Inc. is a private company that does charitable work for people transitioning out of the correctional system. It provides rehabilitation, help, and housing for people in need of assistance upon release from state prison or county jail. The supervisor of the pilot program, Greg Cox, says that incarceration is not the best way to treat convicted criminals who suffer with mental illnesses.

Cox believes intensive treatment programs to get to the heart of the mental health issue and to offer help will lower the rates of repeat offenses, ultimately keeping the mentally ill out of jail and functioning as productive members of the community. Cox aims to provide a program that addresses the unique needs of those who have a mental illness and who are in San Diego’s correctional system.

The passing of Assembly Bill 473 marks a major change in how San Diego law enforcement handle criminals with histories of mental illness. If the pilot program becomes a permanent part of the system, the future could look much brighter for inmates with mental illnesses in California.