Mississippi Criminal Law BlogThe week of March 13, 2023, Mississippi passed House Bill 1222, also called the Mississippi Collaborative Response to Mental Health Act. This bill, which passed unanimously, was sent to the governor for his signature. It requires each municipality and county law enforcement agency to provide mental health training to all officers by 2031. It also requires that these law enforcement agencies must employ at least one Crisis Intervention Team Officer by the year 2025.
In the wake of police brutality and the broad media coverage it has gained, many states are looking at ways to curb deaths caused by police. For most, this looks like some sort of intervention program such as the one proposed here in Mississippi. According to the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, of the 1,000 people fatally shot by police in 2018, 25% were mentally ill. The type of training looking to be introduced here aims to reduce the risk of serious injury or death during an emergency interaction between people with mental illness and police officers. Studies show this type of training leads to beneficial officer-level outcomes, such as officer satisfaction and self-perception of a reduction in use of force. It would also likely lead to prebooking diversion from jails to psychiatric facilities. This way, those suffering from mental illness can get the help they need rather than being thrown in a stressful environment like jail which would only make the matter worse.
Mental Illness in the Mississippi
Mental illness has quickly become an epidemic across the United States. Not only are high rates of people struggling with mental illness, those struggling are not able to access proper treatment. According to data from the Nation Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year. 431,000 adults in Mississippi have a mental health condition. This is more than 9 times the population of Biloxi. In February 2021, 42.7% of adults in Mississippi reported symptoms of anxiety or depression. 21.1% of these people were unable to get needed counseling or therapy. Of those struggling with mental illness in Mississippi, 120,000 of them suffer from a serious mental illness. Mental illnesses also do not discriminate by age. In Mississippi, 27,000 children ages 12-17 have depression. 1 in 4 people with a serious mental illness has been arrested by the police at some point in their lifetime.
From these numbers, it is clear that mental illness is a problem in our state, as many are struggling with it and going without treatment. The implementation of the Mississippi Collaborative Response to Mental Health Act will have a positive impact on interactions between law enforcement officers and those struggling with mental illness. Many times, police officers are the only responders to situations, so being educated on dealing with those with mental illness will ensure that less interactions go poorly. This will also keep incarceration numbers down, and hopefully help those struggling get the treatment they need.
However, these programs cannot be implemented overnight, so unfortunately police brutality will still occur, especially towards those struggling with mental illness. If you have been in a situation where you feel as if your rights have been violated by a police officer, it is important to seek legal help. Here at Mississippi Lawyers, we can help you!
Finding an Attorney
If you have been searching the Mississippi area for a qualified, experienced attorney, look no further than Mississippi Lawyers. Over the years, we have helped numerous offenders pursue favorable outcomes. Call us today at (601) 948-4444 for your free consultation to learn more.
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