MENTAL HEALTH COURT IS MOVE IN RIGHT DIRECTION

A promising innovation in the judiciary under way in St. Louis is known as
the mental health court.

Since the mental health court opened a year ago, about 100 people have been
referred to Judge James Sullivan. The court seeks treatment that will help
prevent future arrests.

"The goal of the mental health court is to reduce repeat offenders and make
them take part in court-ordered treatment. We're trying to link them with
services," said Sullivan.

Modeled after one in New York City, the St. Louis court arose out of a 1998
proposal by then-St. Louis Mayor Clarence Harmon to focus on mental-health
issues and drug abuse.

Judge Sullivan continued: "If we address that problem when it's small, we
save that person, that person's family, society and taxpayers. We save the
cost of when that person commits a major crime, the heartache, the whole
nine yards."

This certainly sounds like a good approach.

We commend leaders of the judiciary in Missouri for heading down this road.