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April 3, 2022Montgomery County joins initiative to address mental illness in jails
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office has announced they join a national project that hopes to reduce mental illness in jails.
According to the Stepping Up Initiative, the number of people with mental illness in jails has reached a crisis level.
The project hopes to address those with mental illness who continue to cycle through the criminal justice system.
Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck will be leading the office’s involvement with the project.
“The number of mental health calls for service are rising each year and our systems have been overwhelmed, especially since the closure of state and local hospitals in our area,” Streck said in a release.
During a meeting on April 1, the Criminal Justice Coordinating Center of Excellence and several other agencies discussed planning and resources available for the project.
More than 130 stakeholders attended the countywide meeting, according to a release.