hot topic | MENTAL HEALTH IN THE COURTS A DIFFERENT APPROACH BONNEVILLE COUNTY, IDAHO—Now-retired Idaho Judge Brent Moss served on Idaho's first mental health court, Bonneville County Mental Court, and helped early clients such as Peggy Reese overcome drug addictions and provided her with a positive direction for a better life. The court is now designated as one of five mental health court learning sites through The Council of State Governments Justice Center and the Bureau of Justice Assistance. It serves as a resource for jurisdictions across the country looking to develop or refine their approach to individuals with mental illnesses. (© AP Photo / Randy Hayes)
CAPITOL IDEAS
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JULY/AUGUST 2010
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JUDGES FIND HOPE IN DIFFERENT APPROACH FOR PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS By Mikel Chavers
If a mental health court were a college, people with illnesses like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and major depression would graduate and move on to a better life—a life where they are able to manage their illness. And most importantly, they’d avoid jail. That’s all based on the principle that if the justice system could just get at the underlying issues that cause a person to commit crimes, it could stop the behaviors and help the person become a productive and safe member of society. Mental illness is one of those underlying issues. Lifelong struggles with mental health issues can often contribute to crimes. Crimes lead to arrests, court appearances, jail time and often more court appearances and jail time. Over and over the cycle repeats, as judges grow
increasingly frustrated at the justice system’s inability to fix the problem. “We’re living the same day over and over again with these people,” said Judge Stephen Goss, presiding judge of the Dougherty Superior Court Mental Health and Substance Abuse Division in Georgia. “It’s like being stuck in a revolving door in a hotel lobby.”
Untying Judges’ Hands
He’s not alone in his early frustrations. Before mental health courts, it’s like judges’ hands were tied. “I was a trial judge for seven years before I became a justice and I had a lot of people on my docket who had drug and alcohol and mental health issues, but our system was very fragmented,” said Ohio Supreme Court Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton.
