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Mesa County working to align criminal justice and behavioral health systems
Mesa County joins nine other counties in the County Courts and Justice Leaders initiative, designed to support county, court and criminal justice leaders as they partner to establish local priorities and align resources to achieve their justice and public safety goals.“We are excited to be selected from applicants across the nation,” said Mesa County Sheriff Todd Rowell. “This is perfect timing as several community partners have recently come together to improve our mental health, substance use and criminal justice systems. We are thankful to have experts to advise us through the process of improving these systems.”
Earlier this month, NACo announced and explained that sites would receive ongoing one-on-one technical assistance, have access to a peer network, and be offered the opportunity to showcase their results in a nationally disseminated toolkit.
“Mesa County has been at the forefront of bond reform and effective pre-trial supervision preventing individuals from lingering in jail when they can be safely supervised in the community,” said Lance Phillip Timbreza, 21st Judicial District Judge. “This is a unique opportunity to work collaboratively with law enforcement, the court system, our commissioners, local agencies, and local providers to continue to expand services in Mesa County to address underlying mental health and substance abuse problems. This will reduce unnecessary incarceration for individuals in need of treatment that will, ultimately, deter recidivism and, in the long run, decrease the number of people in the criminal justice system.”
The Mesa County team will assess gaps and identify priority areas for collaboration and improvement within the county’s criminal justice and behavioral health systems. The team will reduce the number of individuals with mental health and substance use disorders in the county jail, reduce the county’s reliance on incarceration, and enhance community trust. The team plans to engage community stakeholders and build upon its existing peer network to gather data and feedback.
