Efforts lag to help mentally ill prisoners

By ISAAC CONSTANS
Capital News Service
LANSING — Despite recent efforts, treatment of people with mental illnesses in jails and prisons is still inadequate, experts agree. Up to 64 percent of inmates in Michigan jails have a mental illness, according to an August 2014 report from the office of Gov. Rick Snyder. In Michigan prisons, the figure hovers just above 20 percent. Stepping Up, a 2-year-old program launched by the National Association of Counties, aims to reduce the number of those with mental illnesses in jails across the state. By closely monitoring the status and collecting data on those with mental illnesses, the program aims to link various groups to solve the issue.