City to Open Court to Aid Mentally Ill
Akron, Ohio, 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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