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
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.
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.