Mental Health Court
The Ingham County 30th Circuit Court offers Mental Health Court as an alternative to the typical criminal justice system. The goal of Mental Health Court, like other specialty court programs, is to try and address the root cause of a particular defendant’s behavior, as opposed to simply punishing them to a term of incarceration. Instead of just being sentenced to a jail or prison term, defendants in the Mental Health Court participate in an intensive mental health treatment program. This program consists of three phases. The first phase is built around establishing a personalized treatment plan. The second phase requires compliance with the personalized treatment plan, which involves heavy interaction with the court. Lastly, phase three ensures that there is continued compliance with the treatment plan and probation. Not only does the program focus on psychiatric progression, but the program contains goals for sobriety from drugs and alcohol, educational goals, and housing maintenance.
The 30th Circuit Court is one of twenty-eight courts in Michigan that has a mental health court program. The Michigan Supreme Court reported that graduates of these programs are much less likely to commit another offense. In addition, nearly every single graduate of the program improved his or her mental health and quality of life. The unemployment rate for these graduates is dramatically lower than for offenders who were punished solely by incarceration.
Your Fight Is Our Fight
There are clinical and legal requirements to participate in a mental health court program. If you or a loved one has been charged with a crime and has a history of mental health concerns, mental health court may be a good option for you. For more information about the mental health court program, please contact one of the experienced criminal defense attorneys at White Law PLLC.
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