Thursday, June 17, 2004

Mental health courts encounter some criticism
Story in the Courier-Post (New Jersey) - "In some areas of the country, mentally ill people charged with low-level offenses are being paid attention by "mental health courts" where their needs are recognized and their cases are set aside for special consideration. But the idea, being tried in Ohio, New York, Florida and Alaska, is facing strong criticism from New Jersey mental health advocates. 'There are mixed feelings about mental health courts,' said William Waldman, former state Human Services commissioner who is writing a report on how 250 mentally ill prisoners can be better treated at the Camden County Jail. 'There's some controversy about their effectiveness,' said Waldman. 'They're not a magic bullet.' Nancy Wolff, a Rutgers University researcher, is expected to head a new state task force in New Jersey to find ways to treat and protect the mentally ill in jails and prisons throughout the state. Wolff is a critic of mental health courts, saying they effectively serve only 10 to 20 percent of the mentally ill in jails and prisons."