Green pushes for mental health court in Mat-Su

MAT-SU -- Sen. Lyda Green has high hopes that a mental health court, which would serve the needs of people suffering from mental illnesses that commit misdemeanor crimes, can be opened in the Palmer courthouse sometime in the near future.

"You want to keep people with mental illness out of the general public jail or prison, this type of person does not do well [in that situation]," Green said. Anchorage has a mental health court, which Green has visited and says has been very successful. Instead of doing jail time for the crimes they've committed, those suffering from mental illness may be able to work toward getting their lives back on track as part of their sentencing. Judgments usually include time with a mental health care professional.

"The primary purpose is that they confront their mental illness," Green said.

The court would be open for mentally ill people that are capable of understanding the circumstances surrounding their arrest and illness. The perpetrator not only goes to the court for their initial hearing, which involves both a case worker and usually a representative from the Department of Public Safety or Corrections, they also have to report back to the judge to review their progress.

"There is merit in the person being in the court," Green said. "If they don't take advantage of the program, if they don't do what the judge says, they go right back onto the [regular] court roster."

Green is contacting a number of state and local agencies to gain support for the program, including the federal Department of Transportation, which may have an interest in the project because one of the misdemeanors eligible in the proposed court system could be drunken driving.