Mental Health Matters

It is no secret than the mentally ill make up an extremely large portion of the incarcerated population. At a time when our knowledge about the mentally ill is growing, our laws have yet to be updated to reflect that. Proposed bill AB 2262 would give the judges in cases dealing with the mentally ill a chance to send them to treatment rather than prison or jail. This bill is not without concerns. It is unclear whether there are even enough treatment centers available to take those who need care. Although this bill is not without faults, it highlights an important case against the current state of how we care for the mentally ill.