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Bruce H. Colton <br />State Attorney <br />October 21, 2014 <br />OFFICE OF THE <br />$afE 1\tto-rrreg <br />NINETEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUM OF FLORIDA <br />SERVING <br />INDIAN RIVER, MARTIN, OKEECHOBEE <br />AND ST. LUCIE COUNTIES <br />Board of County Commissioners <br />Indian River County, Florida <br />1801 27th Street <br />Vero Beach, FL 32960-3388 <br />Dear Commissioners: <br />411 South Second Street <br />Fort Pierce, Florida 34950 <br />(772) 465-3000 <br />Fax (772) 462-1214 <br />The State Attorney's Office of the 19th Judicial Circuit fully supports the Mental Health <br />Collaborative Diversion Strategies Task Group in their recommendation to implement a mental <br />health court in Indian River County. <br />The Diversion Strategies Task Group consisting of Police Chiefs, State Attorneys, Public <br />Defenders and Judges joined together to explore ways to connect the mentally ill within the <br />criminal justice system with mental health services in the community. <br />Over the last 30 years, jails and prisons have become the primary repository for people <br />struggling with mental illness. It is an expensive system of care that often fails to effectively <br />address the true problem. With available community resources dwindling for people with serious <br />mental illness (SMI), the courts see more repeat offenders with untreated mental illness. <br />Florida's jails and prisons are not designed, equipped, or funded to deal with SMI, so the use of <br />the problem -solving court model is a logical response. <br />Mental health courts generally share the following goals: to improve public safety by reducing <br />criminal recidivism; to improve the quality of life of people with SMI's and increase their <br />participation in effective treatment; and to reduce court- and corrections -related costs through <br />administrative efficiencies and often by providing an alternative to incarceration. <br />Like drug courts, mental health courts hold offenders accountable while linking them to the <br />treatment services they need to address their mental illness. <br />The State Attorney's Office of the 19th Judicial Circuit supports the success of a quality, <br />effective mental health court in Indian River County. <br />. Sin,erely, <br />ruce H. Col on <br />State Attorney <br />19th Judicial Circuit <br />11 <br />