ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Cheers and celebration were heard at the Bernalillo County Metro Court Tuesday for a new pilot program meant to help people struggling with mental illness, and who may not be competent to stand trial.
The Competency Diversion Program will start the moment a person is booked into jail. Participants are screened after arrest and must be approved by their defense attorney, prosecutors, and a judge. Those who agree to take part work with trained navigators who connect them to behavioral health care, housing and employment support.
“I as a judge, of course, I want to apply the law, but I also want to ensure that justice is done. And without any programs in place, without any place to refer them, my hands were tied. There was nothing I could do, and it just broke my heart to see these families and friends who were desperately trying to help out their loved ones and had no avenue to do so,” said New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Briana H. Zamora…