Officials from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) are seeking support from federal, state and local lawmakers in combating what they call the criminalization of America's mentally ill.
NAMI leaders penned the testimony that was forwarded to a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, entitled "Breaking the Cycle: Mental Health and the Justice System."
In the testimony, NAMI Senior Policy Advisor Ronald Honberg said the organization backed Texas Sen. John Cornyn's Mental Health and Safe Communities Act, which provides for the creation of a dedicated National Criminal Justice and Mental Health Training and Technical Assistance Center; Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) programs for law enforcement officers and other first responders; dedicated mental health or drug courts for offenders who have been diagnosed with mental illnesses; forensics-based community treatment programs for offenders diagnosed with mental illnesses; improved treatment for mentally ill inmates in correctional facilities; and a national data collection system to track contact between mentally ill people and the criminal justice system.
NAMI leaders believe that federal government involvement will greatly benefit the endeavor, facilitating increased public safety and providing opportunities for better lives.
