Officials in Tarrant County are looking at the possibility of a new facility designed to keep people accused of non-violent, low-level crimes out of jail.
Some crimes, such as criminal trespassing, are often associated with homelessness or mental illness. The mental health jail diversion center would provide a place for police officers to take those individuals so that they could receive counseling and other services.
"This will make a huge difference in how we do criminal justice in our community," said Tarrant County District Attorney Sharen Wilson. "The mentally ill, for the most part, should not be in our jails."
The facility would involve a partnership between law enforcement agencies, Tarrant County, MHMR and the JPS Health Network.
"We recognize the county jail is not the place for one to regain one's mental health," said Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Brooks. "This is truly a diversion program. These people will never hit the front door of the jail. The objective of this center is to stabilize this person and do a warm hand-off to community-based care." The facility could also reduce the demands on the Tarrant County Jail and preserve capacity at the region's emergency psychiatric facilities for those with the most serious problems.
"Two fundamental questions that we have at this point are...how should we fund this, and who should operate the facility?" said Assistant County Administrator Chandler Merritt.
Tarrant County officials are planning a workshop to address those issues. County officials will also work with a real estate firm to find possible locations for the proposed facility.
