By:  Moncrief                                          S.R. No. 392
         99S0697/2                           
                                  SENATE RESOLUTION
 1-1           WHEREAS, The number of persons with mental illnesses in local
 1-2     jails is significantly higher than those in state mental hospitals;
 1-3     and
 1-4           WHEREAS, Persons with mental illnesses frequently cycle in
 1-5     and out of jails on a variety of misdemeanor charges; and
 1-6           WHEREAS, Jails are oftentimes ill-equipped to provide
 1-7     appropriate treatment and intervention to persons with mental
 1-8     illnesses; and
 1-9           WHEREAS, Law enforcement and the criminal justice system are
1-10     utilized to respond to a mental health crisis due to expediency
1-11     rather than appropriateness; and
1-12           WHEREAS, Civil outpatient commitments are inconsistently
1-13     utilized by the mental health system and the courts; now,
1-14     therefore, be it
1-15           RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Texas, 76th
1-16     Legislature, that a study be conducted by the Texas Council on
1-17     Offenders with Mental Impairments on strategies to reduce the use
1-18     of jails as a mental health treatment provider, that the study
1-19     examine current incarceration practices and arrest rates of persons
1-20     with mental illnesses, as well as the feasibility of establishing a
1-21     regional mental health detention facility as a pilot, and that the
1-22     study include information on utilizing existing facilities, funding
1-23     strategies, and other operational issues required to implement such
 2-1     a facility.