Letter to the Editor: San Diego Union Tribune

Treating the disease of mental illness vs. incarceration

San Diego moves forward to address the escalating number of contacts between individuals with serious mental illnesses and the criminal justice system, as announced in the article by Greg Moran “First person sentenced in program for mentally ill” (March 1). As CEO of Mental Health America of San Diego County, I applaud our criminal justice and behavioral health system’s efforts to break the cycle of worsening mental illness and criminal behavior that begins with the failure of the community mental health system and is accelerated by the inadequacy of treatment in prisons and jails; and to provide effective treatment options instead of the usual criminal sanctions for offenders with mental illnesses. Certainly, not every crime committed by an individual diagnosed with a mental illness is attributable to disability or to the failure of public mental health. But homelessness, unemployment and a lack of access to meaningful treatment services have clearly put many people with mental illnesses at risk of arrest.

Scott Suckow
San Diego