Group to Consider How Justice System Treats Mentally Ill
A legislative panel will meet in Helena this week to consider new laws to improve how the justice system treats adults and youth who may have a mental illness.
The Law and Justice Interim Committee will meet beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday and 8 a.m. Friday in Room 137 of the State Capitol. The public is invited to attend and will have a chance to comment on issues under consideration by the lawmakers.
The committee plans to refine draft legislation that it's thinking of introducing during the 2009 session. The draft bills would:
Revise how young people under Youth Court jurisdiction are evaluated for disabilities.
Prohibit placement of disabled youth in youth correctional facilities.
Create a pilot project for a statewide approach to preventing jail suicides, in part through consistent screening.
Provide regional crisis intervention and stabilization in an effort to divert mentally ill people from jail.
Provide a voluntary diversion from involuntary commitment to the Montana State Hospital.
A full agenda is available on the committee's web page.
The committee also will review 2009 legislative proposals by the Department of Corrections, Department of Justice, Judicial Branch, and Office of State Public Defenders.
For more information, contact Sheri Heffelfinger, committee staffer, at 406-444-3596.
