Criminal
Jan. 13, 2025
Mental health diversion is working
See more on Mental health diversion is workingFrom paranoid schizophrenia to substance abuse, California's treatment-first approach is keeping troubled defendants out of prison.
Louis J. Shapiro
Email: LouisJShapiro@Gmail.com
Louis, a former Los Angeles County Public Defender, is a criminal defense attorney and State Bar-certified criminal law specialist out of Century City. He is also a legal analyst, board member of the California Innocence Project and Project For The Innocence at Loyola Law School, CACJ and LACBA'S Criminal Justice Executive Committee.
I don't have statistics, but I have stories. And what I have personally seen over the last few years, since California's mental health diversion statute was passed into law, is encouraging and inspiring.
California Penal Code 1001.36 allows a defendant with a diagnosed mental health disorder to participate in a court-ordered treatment program instead of facing traditional criminal penalties. If they successfully complete the program, their charges are dismissed and their ...
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