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senate Bill S. 993

Will More Grant Money Improve Mental Health Screening in the Criminal Justice System?

Argument in favor

Prisons and jails are overcrowded with people who have mental health issues that should be getting treatment elsewhere. Law enforcement and community organizations need additional resources to cope with this problem.

Claus's Opinion
···
05/22/2015
Mental health is a growing issue in our communities. Too many times have individuals committed a crime, possibly due to their mental illness, we've thrown them in jail without the necessary resources to treat those illnesses, and eventually we release them from jail. They commit the same crime, due to the same mental illness, thus creating a cycle and a burden on the people. We must acknowledge that certain individuals have no control over their affliction, and instead of just throwing them into a cell, we must provide psychological services to them. Mental illness is perpetual, therefore we need to care for these people.
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John's Opinion
···
08/10/2015
Reauthorization is common sense. Just make sure this partisan Attorney General gives the grants to deserving institutions directly tied to the service and not campaign donors.
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Paul's Opinion
···
06/28/2015
We have created a new underclass of those who should be institutionalized and we closed the facilities that should be housing them. Violent crime would decrease and sheriffs across the country would thank us.
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Argument opposed

Many criminals with mental health problems pose a threat to public safety — which is why they were arrested in the first place. Communities and law enforcement need help working with these people, but throwing money at the problem isn't the solution.

jrs333's Opinion
···
08/11/2015
We should know by now that throwing money at a problem does not solve it.
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Elinor's Opinion
···
08/10/2015
And then what? Those deemed mentally ill cannot be forced into a health center against their will. They cannot be forced to take anti-psychotic meds. As long as they are free to roam the streets because they are mentally ill and, therefore, not considered responsible for any of the crimes they commit, all the mental health screening in the world will not protect society from them.
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Lesia's Opinion
···
08/12/2015
The criminal justice agencies get money while mental health services keep getting cut. Give money to mental health so the mentally ill have a chance at not being in jail. Jail beds or mental health bed, we're going to pay either way
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bill Progress

  • Not enacted
    The President has not signed this bill
  • The house has not voted
      house Committees
      Committee on the Judiciary
      Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security
  • The senate Passed December 10th, 2015
    Passed by Voice Vote
      senate Committees
      Committee on the Judiciary
    IntroducedApril 16th, 2015
Log in or create an account to see how your Reps voted!

Bill Activity

  • action
    Introduced in Senate
  • referral
    Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  • hearings
    Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings held.
  • calendar
    Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
  • reported
    Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley without amendment. Without written report.
  • calendar
    Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 62.
  • action
    Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  • vote
    Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
  • action
    Received in the House.
  • action
    Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  • referral
    Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
  • referral
    Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.

bill Progress

  • Not enacted
    The President has not signed this bill
  • The house has not voted
      house Committees
      Committee on the Judiciary
      Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security
  • The senate Passed December 10th, 2015
    Passed by Voice Vote
      senate Committees
      Committee on the Judiciary
    IntroducedApril 16th, 2015
Log in or create an account to see how your Reps voted!
    Claus's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    05/22/2015
    Mental health is a growing issue in our communities. Too many times have individuals committed a crime, possibly due to their mental illness, we've thrown them in jail without the necessary resources to treat those illnesses, and eventually we release them from jail. They commit the same crime, due to the same mental illness, thus creating a cycle and a burden on the people. We must acknowledge that certain individuals have no control over their affliction, and instead of just throwing them into a cell, we must provide psychological services to them. Mental illness is perpetual, therefore we need to care for these people.
    Like (10)
    Follow
    Share
    Elinor's Opinion Against
    ···
    08/10/2015
    And then what? Those deemed mentally ill cannot be forced into a health center against their will. They cannot be forced to take anti-psychotic meds. As long as they are free to roam the streets because they are mentally ill and, therefore, not considered responsible for any of the crimes they commit, all the mental health screening in the world will not protect society from them.
    Like (4)
    Follow
    Share
    jrs333's Opinion Against
    ···
    08/11/2015
    We should know by now that throwing money at a problem does not solve it.
    Like (4)
    Follow
    Share
    John's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    08/10/2015
    Reauthorization is common sense. Just make sure this partisan Attorney General gives the grants to deserving institutions directly tied to the service and not campaign donors.
    Like (3)
    Follow
    Share
    Paul's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    06/28/2015
    We have created a new underclass of those who should be institutionalized and we closed the facilities that should be housing them. Violent crime would decrease and sheriffs across the country would thank us.
    Like (2)
    Follow
    Share
    Kevin 's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    05/22/2015
    I say yeh and ney because it's just another way of us havein no privacy get more and more in your business but I say yeh because it is a lot of crazy folks there I been there I can tell you first hand but that's another story
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    Lesia's Opinion Against
    ···
    08/12/2015
    The criminal justice agencies get money while mental health services keep getting cut. Give money to mental health so the mentally ill have a chance at not being in jail. Jail beds or mental health bed, we're going to pay either way
    Like (2)
    Follow
    Share
    Alis's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    08/09/2015
    Ronald Reagan demonized the mentally ill. It is time to turn around that horrendous policy!! People need & deserve proper treatment for all illnesses!
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    BrianDeanMSF's Opinion Against
    ···
    09/10/2015
    It is my understanding that mental health screening is very unreliable. Oftentimes healthy individuals are diagnosed with nonexistent mental conditions, and vice versa.
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    PacificCstar's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    08/19/2015
    If we can find better ways to deal with overcrowded prisons, I'm all for it.
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    Mark's Opinion Against
    ···
    06/13/2016
    I don't care if a criminal is crazy or not, of the criminal is found guilty they belong behind bars. Once the criminal serves the time the criminal can then seek treatment. Insanity is not an acceptable excuse to get out of prison.
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    Bfallen07's Opinion Against
    ···
    08/11/2015
    More drugs in jail then out of jail! Drug dogs should be used in all prisons daily!
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    SherryTX's Opinion Against
    ···
    08/11/2015
    This is a joke, right? Can anyone think up any ideas that don't just throw money at a problem? How about doing a better job with what they have to work with like the rest of the country?
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    Curmudgeon's Opinion Against
    ···
    08/10/2015
    Pre frontal lobotomy would reduce recidivism. Look it up.
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    Heather's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    09/29/2015
    Money will help, but better structures in place and allowing the mental health personnel more day and sway in cases will help as well. Not to mention, we need to allow medication and emergency aid to be given to a severely mentally ill person BEFORE they reach a crisis point that lands them in jail.
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    Michaela12's Opinion Against
    ···
    08/12/2015
    I'm tired of hearing everyone that commits a crime just has a mental illness. Mental illness does not make a person commit crimes or become a criminal. I do think the state of mental health in the country needs to be improved but don't think it should be an excuse to get away with crime. Plus this would just divert the over crowding of prisons to overcrowding of hospitals. And government would still be paying either way.
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    Stacy's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    09/21/2015
    This is a huge problem both interms of apprpriate treatment and cultural attitudes. Money that is dispersed for good data based programs will without question help a problem that has ballooned.
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    Brandon's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    04/15/2016
    We have a lack of mental health structure and this would be a step in the right direction. It gives us the opportunity to help our mentally ill get the help they need when they end up in our criminal justice system. There is no reason that we should keep these people from access to treatment while they are serving their time in prison.
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    Arman's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    09/09/2015
    Individuals with mental health disorders should be treated to health care and not simply put in prisons. The ever-expanding prison industry is a threat to our freedoms, a tremendous burden on taxpayers, and a human rights violation.
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    Duncan96's Opinion In Favor
    ···
    11/03/2015
    The wording of this question is asinine. It's asking for speculation, not opinions, and it's designed to manipulate people into asking the wrong question. The question is 'should mentally ill people be treated like criminals and put into federal prisons alongside inmates' and the answer is no. I don't know if putting more money into screenings WILL solve that problem, but that isn't the point. The point is that people who are consciously and deliberately violent towards others will target and abuse anyone who they feel they can exercise power over, and treating mentally ill people like prisoners is setting them up for incredible suffering at the hands of people who are deemed too dangerous to interact with mentally stable people. They are two very opposite groups, and mixing them is barbaric and unjust, so hopefully putting money into these screening will help.
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