The mental health court in Saint John will be back in session in early November after the diversionary program shut down four years ago.
The voluntary program at the provincial court in Saint John was first established as a pilot program in 2000 and is for those who have a mental illness and have plead guilty to a crime. It allows a provincial court judge and a mental health team to come up with and put in place a treatment plan the person has to follow in order to stay in the program.
Saint John’s mental health court was suspended in 2013 with the retirement of Judge Alfred Brien who oversaw and established Saint John’s mental health court, which was the only one of its kind in New Brunswick.
At a provincial government event in Saint John announcing the reinstatement of the mental health docket, premier Brian Gallant said that 85% of the cases heard by judge Brien did not result in a re-offence.
Premier Brian Gallant says 85% of cases heard by Justice Brien, who established SJ mental health court, did not result in a reoffence. pic.twitter.com/CUScRX6tRW
— Laura Lyall (@LauraLyall) September 18, 2017
Randy Hatfield of the Saint John Human Development Council says that the mental health court is the ‘connector of two populations: those with mental health concerns and those in conflict with the law.’
Randy Hatfield of the Human Development Council says they welcome the reintroduction of the court because it works & because it’s needed. pic.twitter.com/GNerox0KU4
— Laura Lyall (@LauraLyall) September 18, 2017
Sue Haley is the director of addiction and mental health services in the Saint John area with Horizon Health and tells us that they have been advocating for this over the past few years because they know it works.
“People with mental illness need to be in treatment they don’t need to be in our jails, and certainly in our correctional facilities or in prison so this is a good day for New Brunswick,” Haley says.
“As opposed to going to jail [you have] the opportunity to have a team wrapped around you to ensure that things are going well with you and if they’re not going well then we’re there to support you so that we can turn things around before you do come in conflict with the law again.”
