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P/CLOUDY Temp: 77 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, October 2, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend September 7, 2003 Jackson County mental health investigator David Eisenhaure peers through the window of a holding cell at the Jackson County Jail, where he evaluates inmates for mental illness. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven ‘Mental health court’ concept considered a potential solution By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune An alternative court program in Oregon could help many mentally ill defendants break a cycle of crime. A mental health court will open in Lane County next week. A similar program has been approved in Yamhill County. Both are funded with grants from the federal Department of Justice and serve mentally ill defendants who have committed a non-violent crime, said Richard Sherman, health services manager for the Lane County Sheriff’s Department. Based on intensive monitoring by the court and mental health workers, mental health court connects defendants to treatment and services in an attempt to keep them out of jail. If a defendant successfully completes the yearlong program, charges are dropped. "The courts do not do a very good job overall of dealing with (mental health) issues," Sherman said. "It’s going to give us a better mechanism." Advertisement The program is based on a court model used across the country in cases of drug abuse and has been shown to reduce repeat offenses. Criminal justice officials and mental health workers proposed a mental health court in Jackson County about a year ago. Funding seemed to be the main stumbling block, said Christine Herbert, a Medford criminal defense attorney. "In the meantime, we just kind of did this Band-Aid fix," Herbert said. A committee of police, court officials, attorneys and probation officers devised a plan to diagnose, treat and keep mentally ill defendants out of jail. Yet that strategy, for the most part, was derailed because of state budget cuts, Herbert said. Nearly everyone who deals with the county’s mentally ill would be in favor of an alternative court program, said Jim Adams, Circuit Court administrator for Jackson County. But the county has placed its priorities on children and families in crisis, he said. If the state doesn’t pass a tax surcharge, the court won’t be able to maintain existing programs, he said. "There’s just so many needs." Lane County’s mental health court comes on the heels of a similar, 5-year-old program for defendants with both mental health issues and drug and alcohol addiction. Since 1997, 221 people have entered that program. About half of those either graduated free of charges or are still supervised by the court, according to statistics from Lane County Circuit Court. Sixty-two defendants were terminated from the program because they failed to abide by court orders. Ten defendants died before completing the program. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times