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We cannot rely on our jails and prisons to address New York’s mental health crisis - we need community-based treatment!

NEW YORK IS IN THE MIDST OF A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

EVERY YEAR

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1 OUT OF EVERY 5

NEW YORKERS HAS SYMPTOMS OF A MENTAL DISORDER

New York’s jails and prisons house more people with mental illness than any psychiatric hospital in the country.

1/2

HALF THE PEOPLE IN JAILS AND PRISONS HAVE MENTAL ILLNESS DIAGNOSES

​JAILING PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS DOESN’T MAKE
OUR COMMUNITIES SAFER OR HEALTHIER

People emerge from incarceration even more destabilized and traumatized, and are more likely to be re-arrested or imprisoned in the future - not less.

New York established drug courts statewide in 2009, but the law still excludes those with mental health, cognitive, or intellectual diagnoses.
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It’s time to update the law and ensure every county has a mental health treatment court.

NEW YORK IS NOT INVESTING IN WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS TO ADDRESS CRIME, MENTAL ILLNESS AND SUBSTANCE USE

THE AVERAGE COUNTY IN

NY STATE 

SPENDS 2X THE $$$

ON JAIL  OVER  PUBLIC HEALTH

NYC SPENDS OVER

$500,000

TO INCARCERATE

ONE PERSON PER YEAR

(over $1,400 DAILY per person)

This could pay for 38 years worth of groceries for a family of four in New York State.

It's time to invest in smarter, more effective solutions.

©2025  by Treatment Not Jail NY

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