IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Johnson County is considering adding a criminal mental health court program aimed at helping repeat offenders with serious mental illness.
The county already operates a Civil Mental Health Court. The proposed criminal version would offer eligible defendants a treatment plan as an alternative to jail time.
Not every person charged with a crime would be eligible. Defendants would need a qualifying diagnosis, such as schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders, and their charges would have to be low-level and nonviolent. Participation would also be voluntary.
“In a Criminal Mental Health Court the person has to be able to voluntarily agree to participate in the mental health court versus going to jail,” said Leslie Carpenter, who helped establish the state’s first Civil Mental Health Court.
The program would require participants to follow a treatment plan, including taking prescribed medications. Carpenter said other communities have seen results.
“There are people getting back to work. There are people who are living on their own independently for the first time. It’s amazing to see that avenue open up for them when it wasn’t happening before,” Carpenter said.
Johnson County Sheriff Brad Kunkel attended a criminal mental health court proceeding in Scott County. He said participants appeared to be finding success.
“Not only did you see a respect for the judge but frankly some optimism in what that path forward looked like. I think they were also happy to be participating and see this as a way to better their life and hopefully migrate out of the system altogether,” Kunkel said.
If the program is established, Kunkel’s office would be able to recommend candidates.
“Your frontline jail staff, your jail social workers, your nurses, everybody else involved, they have that direct day-to-day contact with people and I think they’re really in the best place to recommend who would be good candidates for the program,” Kunkel said.
Johnson County has $115,000 from a grant to help fund the program, which would cover approximately one-third of the total cost needed.
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