Michigan has implemented a mental health jail diversion program geared toward getting those individuals with nonviolent misdemeanor charges diverted to treatment programs rather than incarceration. They have teamed up with an unlikely partner, Easter Seals, to create the program. Not only is treatment enhanced for the mentally ill but nuisance calls to the police are reduced and resources can be shifted to crime prevention. Jails now have more mentally ill than hospitals according to a 2010 study by the National Sheriff’s Association. This program is a promising option if there are enough treatment beds available.

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