None Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Taunya wrote:

In light of all of the discussion around the criminal justice system
and the death penalty, I wanted to share an experience that I just had:

The research center where I work is contracted with the Idaho Supreme
Court to conduct a process evaluation of Mental Health Courts across the
state of Idaho. This is my project until I leave September 8th. I just returned
from Bonneville County (Idaho Falls), where they have a very well
established and very reputable Mental Health Court. I spent two days observing
staffings, court proceedings, conducting focus groups and doing interviews.
I was so moved by the program there that I wanted to stay and be a part of it.
It is truly amazing!
 
Mental Health Court resembles a complete paradigm shift in the criminal
justice system. The participants are viewed not as criminals, but as
individuals needing assistance so that they might improve their quality
of life and become productive members of society rather than repeating the
hospitalization/incarceration cycle over and over again as they have
been doing. The point, really, is to provide an alternative to incarcertions
and hospitalizations by putting them through an intensive treatment program
that involves everything from medication stabilization to counseling to
substance abuse treatment to vocational rehabilitation. 

The court fully recognizes that up until now, the criminal justice system has failed these
individuals terribly. 
And it fully recognizes that these individuals do not belong in 
and cannot succeed in the correctional system.  


The Bonneville County Court is considered a model across the nation. It
was really made possible by the former Drug Court Judge there who
recognized that traditional courts were not working for individuals with mental
illness. He championed the cause, traveling across the country to visit
and learn about other Mental Health Courts and then beginning his own
without any financial or administrative support. Now, they have a great deal of
support and resources and it has been a great success.

I just wanted to share because it was so refreshing to see this
fundamental shift in the usually overly punitive, unsympathetic, irrational, and
terribly unsuccessful criminal justice system. Persons with mental
illness make up a large percentage of the prison inmate population and a great
many of them do not belong there and cannot be rehabilitated in prison.

Taunya

P.S. Interestingly enough, Paul is in the process of getting one of his
clients into the Mental Health Court here in Boise.