Rep. Doug Collins and Sen. Al Franken Introduce Bicameral, Bipartisan Criminal Justice Reform Bill

Press Release

Senator Al Franken (MN) and Congressman Doug Collins (GA09) today introduced the bicameral, bipartisan Comprehensive Justice and Mental Health Act, a bill that aims to improve the ability of local and state governments, as well as law enforcement, to address the unique needs of mentally ill offenders, before and after they enter the criminal justice system. Their legislation reauthorizes, improves and expands the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act.

Across the country, an estimated 2 million individuals with serious mental issues enter county jails every year. Many more with lesser mental health problems may still require a resource-intensive response, according to the Council of State Governments. The Comprehensive Justice and Mental Health Act aims to reduce their higher-than-average recidivism rates.

"Right now, our criminal justice system is facing a crisis. We're using jails and prisons as a substitute for a properly functioning mental health system."said Sen. Franken. "This is a problem--it's causing overcrowding in our correctional facilities and forcing taxpayers to foot the bill. The bipartisan bill that Representative Collins and I have introduced will help fix this issue by providing resources to the criminal justice system, crisis intervention teams, and law enforcement, to help improve outcomes for people with mental illness. I look forward to working on getting this bill through the Senate Judiciary Committee and across the finish line."

Rep. Collins, an Air Force reservist and House Judiciary Committee member, commended his Republican and Democratic colleagues in Congress for joining his reform. "My own state of Georgia has been a leader in the effort to reduce costs and recidivism, while also increasing public safety," he said. "I'm especially proud to be a part of a bill that offers U.S. military veterans opportunities to seek treatment outside our country's jails, poorly equipped to handle disorders resulting from combat."

"Our jails are not mental health facilities. It's time we stop using them as such. We need to find better ways to treat people and prevent incarceration," said Collins."I'm pleased to be working with Senator Franken to address helping the mentally ill in our criminal justice system. I also want to thank Congressman Richard Nugent, a former sheriff who has seen first-hand the situation on the ground, for his tireless work on this issue and contribution to and support of this bill."

In addition to expanding veteran services, the Comprehensive Justice and Mental Health Act instructs the Justice Department to provide better mental health information to law enforcement and first responders. It requires the department's Inspector General to prevent waste, fraud and abuse of the program, as well as applies only to mentally ill offenders who demonstrate the greatest potential for rehabilitation, thereby saving taxpayer money.

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