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Article: Mental health courts: What sheriffs need to know
- Article from:
- Sheriff
- Article date:
- March 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright National Sheriff's Association Mar/Apr 2001. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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On November 13, 2000, President Clinton signed the Law Enforcement and Mental Health Project bill into law, providing funding for up to 100 new mental health courts in the United States.1 This legislation grew out of congressional concern about the number of persons with mental illness who are in jails, and the lack of appropriate jail diversion programs. As the debate waged in Congress, there was little discussion of the impact this legislation would have on sheriffs, who play an important role in the establishment of mental health courts. This article discusses the potential implications of these courts for sheriffs.
Why Now?
In a perfect world, law enforcement officers arriving at a ...