When Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard stepped into his post in 1999, about eight percent of the county jail’s inmates were on some form of psychotropic medication. FYI Bouchard and the Major County Sheriffs’ Association work with legislators throughout the country to get legislation on mental health care passed. Below is a list of some of the bills that have been introduced: • HR401, S 162 - Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Act of 2013 Two bills introduced to reauthorize and improve the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA); to provide additional resources for veterans treatment courts, to increase focus on resources and training for jails and prisons, and to provide innovative training at police academies. Sponsored by Rep. Richard Nugent, R-Fla., Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn. • HR 1263, S 264 - Excellence in Mental Health Act. Bills within Congress which aim to expand access to community mental health centers and improve the quality of mental health care for all Americans. Sponsored by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich, and Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif. • S 153 - Mental Health First Aid Act of 2013. Bill with the goal of amending section 520J of the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants for mental health first aid training programs. Sponsored by Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska. Nearly 16 years later, that number has jumped to 30 percent on any given day, he said. While national statistics indicate that the number of mentally ill inmates in jails has increased over the past 50 years, there are still programs within Oakland County that try to keep these individuals out of the corrections system.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 13:49:33 +0000
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