Missouri Senate Considering Specialized Treatment Court For Mental Health

The Missouri Senate is considering a bill that would establish a specialized treatment court for defendants battling mental health problems.

The bill’s sponsor, Republican Senator Rusty Black, says that the Substance Abuse Taskforce heard testimony in support of the courts being an economical way to avoid imprisonment and reduce the chance to reoffend, among other things…

No one testified against the bill.

The Office of State Courts Administrator estimates that the potential budgetary impact could initially be 600-thousand dollars and continue to rise due to the growth in mental health courts.