Youngstown Judge Renee DiSalvo Judge met with city leaders Monday morning to bring her vision to the table for a new program, designed to bring people suffering mental health crises in Youngstown help, not handcuffs.

About 2 million times each year, people with serious mental illness are booked into jails, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

"This program is an attempt to decriminalize those suffering from severe mental illness," Judge DiSalvo said.

The program will be targeted at those facing misdemeanor charges, such as trespassing, disorderly conduct, loitering, and disturbing the peace.

Many who have mental illness who are incarcerated are charged with non-violent misdemeanor crimes like these, that are related to untreated symptoms.
Under the mental health court diversion program, those charges may be dropped at the completion of a comprehensive treatment plan.

The program's approach would connect the city's emergency response, mental health, and justice system with a catalogue of health-supporting services.

Judge DiSalvo detailed, that means prioritizing the expansion of crisis intervention team members' roles in emergency responses.

" The very first thing that happens is 9-1-1 gets called," she said. "So we've got police officers, the sheriff department going out to these calls where there is actually not a crime, there is just somebody who is in crisis."

Early intervention is another key focus of DiSalvo's vision.

In a situation where a crime has been committed during a mental health crisis incident, the person arrested may have to wait an extensive period of time in jail before receiving a psychiatric evaluation, diagnosis, or prescription medication.

The judge says her program would expedite that timeline as close to booking as possible.

"If you don't evaluate them right off the bat-- if you wait until they get arraigned and get a pre-trial, get their attorney appointed to them -- that's weeks and weeks that they're being undiagnosed, untreated," DiSalvo noted.

She added, the program could see the incorporation of peer support services throughout the duration of treatment, as an added accountability tool.

At this point, it's unclear what funding may be required for the plan.

A second meeting is scheduled for May 2nd to continue developing the program.