SB 374

Under current law, the Department of Justice (DOJ) provides grants to counties

that have established qualifying treatment and diversion (TAD) programs for

persons who are or may be charged with, or who are convicted of, offenses related to

the person's use or abuse of alcohol or other drugs. TAD programs are intended to

offer alternatives to prosecution or incarceration for offenders with substance abuse

problems in order to reduce recidivism, promote public safety, and reduce prison and

jail populations.

In order to qualify, a county's program must meet certain criteria, including

offering treatment for the offender's substance abuse, and coordinating with other

specialists, including mental health treatment providers, social services providers,

and case workers in order to provide intensive case management. Each qualifying

program must be developed in collaboration with representatives from the judicial

system, law enforcement and corrections, social and welfare service providers, and

mental health and substance abuse treatment providers. Further, each county that

receives a TAD grant creates an oversight committee with representatives from

those agencies or services to administer and evaluate the program. A qualifying TAD

program is subject to state audits and each county that receives a TAD grant must

submit an annual report to DOJ and to the oversight committee that details its

progress in promoting public safety, reducing recidivism and lowering costs, and

meeting the treatment and other needs of program participants.

Under this bill, a county may receive a TAD grant for a program that treats

persons who have a diagnosed mental illness and who are or may be charged with,

or who are convicted of, offenses related to the person's mental illness. Under the bill,

the same qualifying, auditing, oversight, and other standards that apply to TAD

programs for offenders with substance abuse problems also apply to TAD programs

for offenders who are diagnosed with a mental illness. The bill increases funding for

TAD grants and directs DOJ to allocate the increased amount to providing grants to

counties with TAD programs that address the needs of persons with mental illness.