New Jersey’s Essex County Launches Program To Keep Mental Health Patients Out Of Jail

Circle Connections: New Products & Services The Essex County, New Jersey Prosecutor�s office has set up a new initiative to steer nonviolent offenders with mental health problems toward treatment programs rather than prison time. The Essex County initiative is modeled after a similar program in Union County. Under the plan, anyone with a history of mental illness who gets accused of a crime will be evaluated and linked to services in their community. The goal is to ensure those affected by mental illness get long-term treatment, so as to present them from committing more crimes or more serious . . .