Judge Milton Mack

So my objection has been to create a system where we intervene early and avoid the use of hospitals as well as jails and prisons.

Because hospitals really are not therapeutic environments, number one.

Well, they're more than jails and prisons, but they're designed to stabilize someone.

not to get them into recovery, not to get them well, but stable.

So just for example, in Wayne County, which is where Detroit's located, we did a study.

Over a five-year period, we had 15,000 petitions for mental health treatment for 9,000 individuals.

600 of those 9,000 people accounted for 36% of all the petitions filed.

They represent less than 1% of the population, but 36% of the petitions.

and they are with all the friendly faces that rotate in and out of the system constantly.

We looked at the top users of the system.

We had 79 people who had at least 10 petitions in the previous five years.

Those individuals in the prior fiscal year, we spent $3.3 million on hospitalization, $1.6 million on incarceration, a total of $4.9 million.

And for that $4.9 million, we got nothing.

One individual had 46 visits to the ER.

So at what point in time do we say, this is not working, clearly not working?

We don't wait until someone's dangerous to solve for others.

We want to know, do you have a mental illness?

Do you understand your need for treatment?

Are you faced with decompensation, deterioration?

And does this create a risk of harm?