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Manhattan Court Designed to Treat Mentally Ill Offenders Opens

By DNAinfo Staff on March 16, 2011 7:42pm  | Updated on March 16, 2011 7:40pm

Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan will preside over the mental health court.
Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan will preside over the mental health court.
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DNAinfo/Shayna Jacobs

By Shayna Jacobs

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

MANHATTAN SUPREME COURT — A specialized court designed to offer treatment instead of jail for non-violent mentally ill offenders is officially open for business, state court administrators and prosecutors announced Wednesday.

The Manhattan Mental Health Court was endorsed at a ceremony Wednesday by the Manhattan District Attorney, Legal Aid Society and New York County Defender Services.

It will be presided over by Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan and will provide treatment as an alternative to jail for eligible offenders.

Jonathan Lippman, the chief judge of New York State, called mental health courts "a better way" to deal with offenders who get arrested "essentially because of an underlying mental health problem," while delivering remarks at a ceremony at 100 Centre Street Wednesday afternoon. 

The Manhattan Mental Health Court will be housed at 100 Centre Street, the main criminal courts building in New York County.
The Manhattan Mental Health Court will be housed at 100 Centre Street, the main criminal courts building in New York County.
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Flickr/phirleh

Treating offenders is a more effective way of reducing crime and recidivism rates for alleged criminals, Lippman said.

"The courts are the emergency room for society's ills," the chief judge added.

Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance Jr. has endorsed the creation of a mental health court because so many criminal low-level offenders in the city are arrested because they are untreated, he said.

Vance said treating them will hopefully prevent them from reoffending,  putting them on a rehabilitation track instead of ignoring the root problem.

"A significant number of people arrested find themselves in that situation because of mental health issues," the DA said.

Vance said about one half of federal and state inmates show signs of mental illness and about one in 10 suffer form psychotic delusions.

The court is starting with a small number of cases. It currently has fewer than ten on the docket but they are expecting to take on about 24 in its first year.

Each defendant referred to the specialized court will have extra resources and individual attention they would not receive in the regular criminal courts.

Cases can be referred to the court for potential acceptance by prosecutors, defense attorneys or judges. Mental health courts are currently in place in the outer boroughs.