Forum takes up the issue of the mentally ill in the criminal justice system. We look at new programs designed to help police and the courts avoid dangerous confrontations with the mentally ill. These programs are designed to steer the mentally ill toward treatment, instead of a life of incarceration.
Guests:
Kevin Pooler, a schizophrenic who has had several run-ins with the police
Mary Morgan, judge in San Francisco's Behavioral Health Court
Greg Sancire, San Jose police officer working with the Crisis Management Unit
Mark Gale, chair of the Criminal Justice Committee at the National Alliance on Mental Illness, California
Sponsored