With one in 17 of us living with a serious mental illness, it should raise some eyebrows when our state decides to cut all funding to adult mental health services.
In an already underfunded area, this cut may prove particularly harmful. Many of the mentally ill find themselves on an endless loop of acting out, being arrested, going to jail, getting medicated and being released.
With jails already functioning as mental health institutions, the cuts to other organizations established with the mentally ill in mind will end up funneling more people into Florida’s jails.
Often, deputies are trained to spot mental illness, and the training seems to be working. However, people shouldn’t have to cause trouble just to get a psychological evaluation. In fact, the idea of leaving the mentally ill in jail stops making sense on two fronts.
First, the program is structured for and specializes in dealing with criminals, not the mentally ill.
Second, it costs more to house someone in a jail than it does to put him or her in a mental institution.
The state is choosing to cut money immediately, only to end up with both a financial and social problem later. This spirit of instant gratification is beyond harmful.
It’s downright irresponsible.
