Monday, June 11, 2012

“The key is to try and divert people away from criminal justice in the first place… Jail is no place for the mentally ill.”

For repeat offenders struggling with mental-health issues, lawyer Anita Szigeti believes Ontario should develop a system entirely outside of the criminal-justice paradigm. Better community resources could help prevent recidivism among this group, she noted.

“These folks ought not to be criminalized,” Ms. Szigeti, citing a need for improved social assistance, peer support and follow-up psychiatric treatment. “The key is to try and divert people away from criminal justice in the first place… Jail is no place for the mentally ill.”

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/06/11/courting-disaster-what-do-you-do-with-repeat-offenders/

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