Program provides alternative to jail cell / Missoulian, 11 Feb 2007
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TRISTAN SCOTT
"Montana's only mental health court has laid its roots in Missoula, and already the step is providing alternatives for mentally ill people accused of crimes, many of whom would otherwise languish in jail. The Missoula Mental Health Court works with prosecutors, defense attorneys and local treatment agencies to help offenders whose crimes appear linked to their illnesses, much in the same way drug courts seek to treat inmates with addiction problems. “People noticed that drug treatment courts were having positive results, so they began to look at other populations in the criminal justice system that were defined by very specific aspects of the offenders' lives,”."