- The bill calls for $100 million in fiscal year 2025 that would increase over five years to $140 million by 2029.
- The bill proposes mental health screenings, referrals, liaisons and oversight.
Looking to better integrate mental health support into the criminal justice system, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill is touting legislation that aims to reduce recidivism by better tracking and treating prisoners who need such care.
“Here in New Jersey, we know firsthand that some of the best ways to lower crime rates and improve community safety involve ensuring that justice-involved individuals have the mental health resources they need,” Sherrill said during a roundtable last week in Parsippany, where law enforcement and mental health groups endorsed her bill.
The Improving Mental Healthcare in the Re-Entry System Act, which Sherrill introduced last week, would provide $100 million in grants in the coming year for state, local and federal facilities. The funding would increase over five years to $140 million a year by 2029, if the legislation passes.
Cops, mental health pros back Re-Entry Act
The money would be used to make mental health resources available to people serving time in jails and prisons and to point them toward ongoing support as they return to their communities, said Sherrill, a Democrat who represents North Jersey’s 11th Congressional District. The roundtable, hosted by the Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris, also featured local law enforcement, county prosecutors and mental health professionals.
“We have seen a startling number of incarcerated individuals suffering from mental health issues, often leading to a lifetime of crime,” said Ed Kerr, president of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police. “We applaud this proposed federal legislation to better address the ongoing issue.”
NJ program cited as a model
Sherrill cited the example of ARRIVE Together, a pilot program in New Jersey that pairs law enforcement trained in crisis intervention with mental health screeners on local calls. A March 2023 report by the Brookings Institution in Washington hailed “promising” results for the “highly effective” program designed to de-escalate situations in which police are called to intervene with those in mental distress, cases that in the past sometimes led to harm or death.
An analysis earlier this year by NorthJersey.com and the New Jersey Monitor found that inconsistent record-keeping and the limited number of interventions made it harder to draw firm conclusions on ARRIVE Together. Nonetheless, those at the roundtable embraced the idea that better mental health care would lead to better outcomes in many cases currently handled by the police.
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Sherrill’s legislation “is innovative and based upon evidence-based best practices,” said Bob Davison, CEO of the Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris. “The proposed program will enhance public safety, improve the lives of individuals with mental illness and reduce costs to the taxpayer. These are tough issues that a lot of people ignore. We appreciate that Congresswoman Sherrill has leaned in.”
Davison was referring to a mental health program developed by the Johnson County, Kansas, jail system in 2016, according to Sherrill’s office. A study of the program found that people connected to mental health care were less likely to repeat offenses and return to jail.
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, also found that “inmates with severe mental illness are twice as likely to return to prison compared to those without.”
Here’s what the bill proposes
- Mental health screenings: Upon entering jail or prison, people will undergo screenings to identify mental illnesses.
- Referrals: Anyone with a mental health issue will be referred to mental health providers either during incarceration or immediately after release.
- Liaisons: Each facility will have a mental health liaison responsible for coordinating with local providers to ensure that inmates receive care after release.
- Oversight: An advisory board will be established to oversee the program and to evaluate whether it’s reducing recidivism.
The bill is H.R. 8397.
Gene Myers covers disability and mental health for NorthJersey.com and the USA TODAY Network. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: myers@northjersey.comTwitter: @myersgene
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