Raw Writing for the Real World of Bipolar

The need for such a court is compelling in both human and fiscal terms:

• Approximately 250,000 people with severe mental illness are in U.S. prisons and jails at any given time.

• It costs about $30,000 to keep a person in a Colorado prison for a year.

• More than 40 percent of inmates in Arapahoe and Douglas county jails need mental health services and 20 percent of those are seriously mentally ill.

• Over the last three years, Arapahoe County alone has spent $13.6 million on 574 inmates with a diagnosis of serious mental illness. It costs 38 percent more to detain a mentally ill inmate.

• While the average prisoner stays 20 days in a metro-area jail, prisoners who are mentally ill stay an average 110 to 120 days.

• The recidivism rate of mentally ill inmates is staggering, at more than 50 percent.

The process of establishing the 18th Judicial District Mental Health Court began in 2007. Funded initially by a $75,000 federal planning grant, the court is now set to begin operations with additional federal funding of $200,000.

The court expects to see 30 cases this first year. Scott Thoemke, CEO of Arapahoe/Douglas Mental Health Network, said the cases "should provide good data to show that the mental health court is less expensive than what Colorado is doing now" with the mentally ill.

Given the crisis in Colorado's budget, the staggering cost of the state's criminal justice system and the large numbers of people with mental illness in Colorado jails, taxpayers should be eager to support investment in additional mental health courts.

I'm thrilled that Colorado is taking the first step in realizing that mental health plays a large role in many of their inmates rehabilitation. It's my hope that Colorado will pave the way for many of the other states. Of course, I think that Texas will be last to get on board, but at least there's hope!