The money that would go towards this should go instead as a preventative way of helping veterans and others who need the mental health care who aren't in prison, that way it might help prevent the individual from ending up in prison.

This is a tough choice. I indicate nay because its throwing money at a symptom of American society. The medical profession continues to come up with new mental health issues, when it truly comes down to only a few social issues. a) Parental abandonment; weather the parent died, was addicted to some form of drug or alchohol, inprisoned, or had to work multiple jobs to provide for the family. b) Saturation of mind controlling medication; this bill mentions inmates with mental illness. Society has a mental illness that is addressed by getting children addicted to medication that controls different facets of the mind. Then when they turn 18 the meds become more difficult to come by. Insurance just stopped paying the bill and the new adults don't have the same access. Remember the statement on the bottle that says don't stop taking without consulting with your physician. Prison becomes the new home where life is regulated. Prison gives you a place to sleep, eat, exercise, and receive medication. In an effort to protect inmate civil liberties, the ACLU has forced government to be a lifelong daycare for adults. Mental health is not the way to reducing recidivism. Inmates are not intitled to more opportunities than those of us outside the fence. Punishment is not a luxury. They are in prison because they have been deemed a threat to society.

While I may lean towards this Mental Health issue in a favorable light, I personally believe it should be a states issue and still can't fine Mental Health, Physical Health or even a general healthcare in any founding documents. Only liberals can read these Constitutional requirements using their special "rose colored lenses." However, reality is to face the fact that 90%+ of our Prisons contain flawed individuals who view our general population as "easy pickings" for their criminal personal gain. You have what they want so they take it. No morals or ethics except what is instilled by steel bars and concrete walls. It is true that these "convicts" may benefit from mental health therapy, that leaves the 10% of our population who sleep on our streets or under highway overpasses begging in our cities for beer, food and cigarettes while pushing around shopping baskets dragging their big dog. These street people need a place to live and withdraw from drugs addition. But a place where they can feel secure and receive mental health aid and conversely, we the public can also feel safe knowing that psychopaths, sociopaths and schizophrenics are secure from doing harm to the public or themselves. Mental Health Institutions were part of our past, but through various lawsuits, these helpless individuals were "released" on to the streets to live on the streets. So much for progressivism.