IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Johnson County officials are considering adding a Criminal Mental Health Court program aimed at keeping some people with mental illness out of jail.
The program would not apply to everyone charged with a crime. Defendants would need certain diagnoses, including schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders.
At a Johnson County work session on Wednesday, the prosecutor discussed how the program could affect people struggling with serious and persistent mental illness. The program would be voluntary, though law enforcement entities could make recommendations…