Hamilton County Mental Health Court Could Soon Be A Reality

CHATTANOOGA,TN, (WDEF)-Is there an answer to breaking the cycle of crime in Chattanooga?
        Dozens of organizations across Hamilton County say a mental health court could be a solution.

Judge Christie Sell,"We have almost 40 agencies that are coming together on a regular Friday afternoon for a  three hour meeting to make sure this works"

Mental Health Courts divert those with mental issues away from prolonged jail time to community treatment centers in an effort to give them the real help they need to stop committing crimes in the future.

Sheriff Jim Hammond, Hamilton County,"What usually ends up happening is those who need mental health health help, end up on the street then end up in our jail"

Judge Gary Starnes says a mental health court similar to the one in Nashville will curb overcrowding and save money.

"Millions of dollars over a period of two or three years if not millions every year, these folks deserve mental health treatment"

Experts say there are now 3 times more mental health patients in our jails and prisons than there in hospitals.

Support for the mental health court is growing and after reviewing more than 500 Hamilton County cases The Grand Jury feel offenders need a different kind of help.

Judge Christie Sell,"We want to make sure that they would go very quickly and get a court date so that they are not sitting over there, because its proven the longer they sit incarcerated the more likely they are to be debilitating way that they cannot recover from"

A mental health customer will spend 8 times longer behind bars in Tennessee than a regular criminal.

There are now more than 150 mental health courts across the US.