SRC-JJJ S.R. 392 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.R. 392
By: Moncrief
Criminal Justice
4/12/1999
As Filed


DIGEST 

The number of persons with mental illnesses being arrested and detained in
local jails has dramatically increased during the past decade.  For the
most part these persons are charged with misdemeanant offenses, and cycle
in and out of jail on a routine basis.  Most jails are not equipped to
provide the type and level of mental health treatment required by these
individuals.  This legislation would allow the Texas Council on Offenders
with Mental Impairments to conduct a study on strategies for reducing the
use of jails as mental health providers, and examine alternatives to
incarceration. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.R. 392 submits the following resolutions:

That a study be conducted by the Texas Council on Offenders with Mental
Impairments on strategies to reduce the use of jails as a mental health
treatment provider, that the study examine current incarceration practices
and arrest rates of persons with mental illnesses, as well as the
feasibility of establishing a regional mental health detention facility as
a pilot, and that are study include information on utilizing existing
facilities, funding strategies, and other operational issues required to
implement such a facility.