EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A new court-based pilot project in the Doña Ana County Magistrate Court is designed to help guide people who are arrested and are dealing with severe mental illnesses, the New Mexico Supreme Court announced.
According to the news release by the Supreme Court of New Mexico, the Doña Ana County Magistrate Court will be providing assistance to adults arrested on misdemeanor offenses, such as trespassing and petty theft, who have a history of mental illness and has previously been found incompetent to stand on trial for criminal charges.
“The goal is to empower people to lead safer and more productive lives by connecting them to
behavioral health treatment and community services for food, housing and other needs. Doing this promotes public safety by reducing rearrests and will lessen the strain on emergency rooms, courts and law enforcement who otherwise may repeatedly interact with the same individuals struggling with mental illnesses,” said Supreme Court Justice Briana Zamora.
Zamora is the Court’s liaison to the Commission on Mental Health and Competency. The program was established in 2022 to improve how the justice system responds to people experiencing mental-health related issues, according to the Court.
According to the Court, when criminal charges are dismissed against people found incompetent to stand trial, they return to the streets without community services needed to potentially stabilize their lives and help prevent future arrests.
The pilot initiative will provide the following:
Early diversion to treatment
People will be screened when booking into a jail to determine eligibility for the diversion project. Individuals will be referred to the voluntary program for three to six months if approved. Anyone charged with misdemeanor DWIs are ineligible.
Collaborative Care
The court will have “forensic navigators” who work in the community to help individuals obtain behavioral health treatment and other services. Individuals voluntarily consent to treatment and other assistances and successful completion of services will result in dismissal of their criminal charges. Individuals who fail to remain engaged with the services will proceed with their cases as normal.
“Steering people with mental illness to the care they need and diverting them from the justice
system can produce better outcomes. It helps those individuals, their families, and the community by providing an opportunity for recovery and reduces the likelihood of future arrests,” said Doña Ana County Magistrate Court Judge Alexander Rossario.
“We can improve public safety by connecting people to treatment and recovery supports, rather than just repeated interactions with the criminal justice system,” said Health and Human Services Director for Doña Ana County Jamie Michael.
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