Open forum: Montgomery could benefit from Mental Health Court

Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2007

Open forum: Montgomery could benefit from Mental Health Court

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Joan Logan, chairwoman of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Montgomery County Advocacy committee, arranged a wonderful visit last summer to the Mental Health Court in Baltimore. Indeed, the advocacy committee feels we would greatly benefit from having a Mental Health Court in Montgomery County.

Many mentally ill people are jailed in Montgomery County as a result of a misdemeanor problem with the law. Although the jail provides some treatment for those who are most seriously ill, in most cases, these individuals would do better with supervised outpatient treatment. We do not jail people for diabetes, why should we jail people with brain disorders?

Judge Charlotte Cooksey, the judge who runs the Baltimore Mental Health Court, explained to us that cases that come up in the regular court system that are clearly mental health cases are put onto a special docket are sent to her court. It was soon evident as we sat there, that this place was very different from a regular courtroom.

The cases were brought out before the court in the usual way, but the judge praised many for their adherence to medication and the reports that had been given to her of their good behavior. Many people involved in the cases were still detained in hospital care.

The judge talked cheerfully to one individual about the talent she had for poetry and to another about her interest in others. It was more like a social event except that the judge determined each time whether the cases needed more hospital time or could re-enter the community for supervised treatment.

Only toward the end did we see the difficult cases, where persons who did not realize they were ill or were indignant at being treated as ill would rather go to regular court even though that would mean long jail sentences. Although Judge Cooksey tried to explain that to those involved, she ended up giving more time on medication in a secure facility.

Currently, many people in Montgomery County are arrested for breaking the law, jailed as the problem warrants, and then released, only to do the very same thing again and be back in jail. This is unnecessary and expensive for the county. With a Mental Health Court, treatment would be effected and the cycling in and out of jail would be prevented. This would help keep our county jail from being the largest provider of mental health services in the county.

If you are interested in working with NAMI MC to start a Mental Health Court in Montgomery County, contact Joan Logan at 240-773-5057 or joan.logan@montgomerycountymd.gov

Ursula Gill, Silver Spring

The writer is a NAMI MC member.