Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins is speaking about new mental health priorities he would like to see in Dallas County if elected to another term.
Jenkins says he has been studying a model used in Miami-Dade County, Florida where they have seen a reduction in the number of people in the county jail.
“The people who are frequently arrested with the same issues, maybe an addiction issue that causes theft or a mental health issue that causes repeat arrest, are getting the help that they need,” Judge Jenkins said.
He says under the Miami-Dade model, criminals with mental health or drug-related problems are committed to facilities that treat the underlying cause instead of simply sentencing the person to jail.
He says the county would need to work with the state to make a change in state law in how some people are treated.
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