Following years of controversy surrounding the treatment of mentally ill inmates at the Ventura County Jail, county officials are launching a new program aimed at diverting them to outside psychiatric treatment facilities.
A $2.4-million state grant will pay for a multi-agency team of police and local mental health workers who will intercept mentally ill offenders and place them in customized treatment programs.
"It will reduce incarceration and criminal activity, particularly criminal activity that is due to untreated mental illness," said Dr. David Gudeman, executive director of the Ventura County Behavioral Health Department.
Under the new program, offenders will be identified at the time of booking and evaluated for participation in the program. Behavioral Health Department and probation department workers will design a treatment schedule with maximum supervision with the goal of keeping them from becoming repeat offenders.
"It will enable us to refer individuals out of the criminal justice system who are there because of their mental disease and don't really belong there," Chief Deputy Dist. Atty. Greg Totten said. "We will better serve them because often they can't speak for themselves."
Although designed to target mentally ill people who have committed misdemeanors, the grant will also monitor people who could eventually commit more serious offenses.
"The hope is to break the cycle of individuals who are typically in custody on nuisance crimes, arrested for trespassing or maybe committing minor petty thefts in the community," said Sheriff's Cmdr. Mark Ball, who oversees the County Jail. "A lot of years of experience tells me there is a stronger chance than not that this will have an effect on the individuals."
The state grant is part of a $50-million package from the corrections agency for counties throughout the state.
The grant program began in 1998 as a way to reduce jail overcrowding and pinpoint treatment programs for the mentally ill who often end up behind bars and receive little or no access to medication.
Wednesday's announcement that Ventura County had been awarded the money came as officials grapple with the unpredictable nature of the mentally ill living on the streets.
Law enforcement agencies in Ventura County have a troubled history of dealing with the mentally ill.
