SALTER: Democrat and Republican leaders have failed to substantially address mental health issue

SID SALTER: Jailing the mentally ill remains a shameful national, state practice

The issue of Mississippi jailing mental patients – in many cases for little more than getting off their meds or simply for the “crime” of being mentally ill – has been around for decades. The state’s history in terms of providing mental health treatment beds for the mentally ill to assist them in avoiding the dangerous and inhumane practice of jailing them has been checkered at best.

As I’ve written before, neither Democrats nor Republicans can claim any political high ground on this issue. Leaders in both parties have failed to substantially address the issue. Recent attacks which seek to blame Republicans for the “sudden” change in the fortunes of mental health treatment in the state is a claim that defies both logic and history.

Daily Journal
4/9/17