Articles By: Mike McPhee avatar

Mental Health Court changes lives of chronic criminals

Mental Health Court changes lives of chronic criminals

0 April 21, 2011 3:00 PM

An estimated 25 percent of Colorado’s prison population is mentally ill, and nearly all suffer from alcoholism or drug addiction. Once they are in the system, most find themselves in a revolving door of crime, conviction and prison – many for nonviolent offenses. In its 17 months of existence, the Arapahoe County Mental Health Court has a zero percent recidivism rate. The program has the possibility of saving taxpayers millions of dollars