RESOLUTION NO. _____________

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, COUNTY OF SAN MATEO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA

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RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF S. 1194 AND H.R. 2387, MENTALLY ILL OFFENDER TREATMENT AND CRIME REDUCTION ACT OF 2003

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RESOLVED, by the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Mateo, State of California, that reports by the Bureau of Justice Statistics indicates that more than 16 percent of adults incarcerated in the United State have a mental illness; and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention reports about 20 percent of youth in the juvenile justice system have serious mental health problems

WHEREAS, a significant number of both adults and youth have co-occurring mental health and substance abuse problems and according to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill nearly 40 percent of adults who suffer from a serious mental illness will come into contact with the criminal justice system at some point during their life;

WHEREAS, both criminal justice and mental health professionals recognize that a majority of individuals with a mental illness who are involved in the criminal or juvenile justice systems are responsive to medical and psychological interventions that integrate treatment, rehabilitation and support services;

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY DETERMINED AND ORDERED that the Board of Supervisors support S.1194 and H.R. 2387, the "Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2003," to promote collaborative programs that divert non-violent mentally ill offenders from jail, authorize $100 million for grants to develop alternative treatments with supportive services, including housing, education and job training and placement for mentally ill offenders.

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