AKRON, Ohio (AP) — The city is opening the state's first mental health court, seeking to dole out more treatment than punishment to the mentally ill.
As of Jan. 2, defendants with a documented history of mental illness may forgo contesting charges against them in favor of entering a two-year treatment program. The charges would be dropped upon program completion.
"Jail is not meant to be a treatment setting and is not the ideal place for the mentally ill," said Dr. Mark Munetz, a psychiatrist with the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services board.
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A 1998 federal study showed about 16 percent of inmates are mentally ill.