Congressman Richard Nugent

Representing the 11th District of Florida

Nugent Amendment to CJS Approps Passes Unanimously

May 29, 2014
Press Release

(WASHINGTON, DC) Following adoption of his amendment to the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill for FY 2015, Rep. Rich Nugent (FL-11) issued the following statement:

“As a career law enforcement officer, I have seen first hand how our justice system has become a warehousing system for people suffering from mental health challenges.  Jails obviously are a terrible place to treat mental health issues, but that’s the situation we’re facing now.  One of the biggest ways we can reduce recidivism rates is to get these individuals the right kind of treatment so that the underlying conditions and not the symptoms are addressed.  I am very proud to be the sponsor of legislation reauthorizing a variety of programs under the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Act.  We’ve received the support of 47 co-sponsors in the House and 36 co-sponsors for the companion bill in the Senate. 

“And to have the House unanimously support my amendment and one additional amendment appropriating a more than 33% increase in the funds available for these grant programs means an awful lot to the people on the ground who are trying to improve this situation.  I am happy to report that my amendment also increases the amount of resources available for the creation of veterans courts, which is especially important to me as veterans are disproportionately affected by mental health issues and in many cases, that is a direct result of their service and sacrifice to this country.  We owe it to these brave men and women that we don’t just shrug off the challenges they are facing, throw them in jail when they suffer a crisis, and then forget about them.

“At the end of the day, these are investments that will do right by our veterans, make our communities safer, and in the final analysis, save the taxpayers money.   It doesn’t get much better than that.”

 

 

TRANSCRIPT of Rep. Nugent Remarks on the House Floor:
 

 

 

Madam Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

·      Thank you, _____ Chairman.

·      Each day more and more Americans are realizing that that we need to take action to deal with mental health issues in this country.

·      We need to make it a priority.

·      My amendment, in keeping with that sentiment, would provide additional funding for programs under the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA) and for Veterans Treatment Courts.

·      These are programs with a proven track record of effectively addressing some of the important issues associated with mental health illnesses.

·      My amendment would offset this increase by taking $4 million from the the Periodic Censuses and Programs account.

·      Madam Chairman, both of the programs that would receive an increase in funding under my amendment highlight the need of our justice and mental health systems to work together.

·      As a former Sheriff, I can tell you that cooperation is vital.

·      If our justice and mental health systems are collaborating, we can provide more positive outcomes - not only for those with mental health illnesses but for our taxpayers as well.

·      Grants provided under MIOTCRA are used, among other purposes, to set up mental health courts, for community reentry services, and training for state and local law enforcement to help identify and respond to people with mental illnesses.

·      During my 37 years as a cop, I saw first-hand how our jails were becoming warehouses for people with mental health needs. 

·      No one is well served by this process. Not those with mental health issues, not our taxpayers, and certainly not our veterans.

·      Let me provide some numbers to illustrate what’s actually going on in our jails.

·      According to the Florida Mental Health Institute, over five years, 97 individuals in Miami-Dade County accounted for 2,200 bookings in the county jail, 27,000 days in the jail, and 13,000 days in crisis units, state hospitals and emergency rooms.

·      The cost to the state and local taxpayers was nearly $13 million… for just 97 individuals!

·      However, the type of programs my amendment supports have been shown to dramatically reduce those rates.

·      In Pinellas County – for instance – a mental health jail diversion program showed an 87 percent reduction in re-arrests for the nearly 3,000 offenders who were enrolled. 

·      Not only does my amendment support these programs but it also recognizes the unique responsibility we have to our veterans. 

·      Veterans are disproportionately affected by mental health illnesses.

·      Even more, they would likely not have these issues if it weren’t for their service to our country.

·      We owe them a better outcome and Veterans Treatment Courts can help.

·      The point, Madam Chairman, is that we don’t have to waste taxpayer dollars warehousing people in jail. 

·      We don’t have to be content with a system that isn’t effectively serving the people it is supposed to.

·      We have programs that help and that save money.

·      Let’s make this a priority.

·      I urge adoption of my amendment and I reserve the balance of my time.

 

 

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