“Do the crime, do the time,” is a popular phrase. However, sometimes people make mistakes. People who commit minor offenses often are quickly released from jail. For the person with mental illness, however, jail time can be lengthy.

Ø       National research data shows that a person with mental illness usually stays in jail 32-45 days longer than the person without mental illness charged with the same offense.

Ø      We have overcrowding at jails in East Tennessee, including the Knox County Jail which has a larger percentage of seriously mentally ill (18% or more) than in the general public.

Daily incarceration and healthcare expenses at our jails are more costly than the most intensive and successful treatment programs available. So why do people with mental illness languish in jail instead of succeed in treatment? Our criminal justice and mental health systems depend on cooperation and collaboration, but this has not always been the case. Nor has there been a diversion treatment program readily available.

Addressing this problem, Mayor Ragsdale, the Mental Health Association, Criminal Justice leaders and mental health stakeholders have formed the Criminal Justice Mental Health Coalition to improve collaboration between systems and create  a jail diversion treatment program for the mentally ill. Diversion can be in the form of pre- arrest diversion or shortly after arrest with the agreement of the court, attorneys and other stakeholders. 

The humane course of action is to divert to a treatment program. Many communities across the country operate diversion treatment programs with great results. This makes valuable jail space available to incarcerate violent offenders and keep our community safe.