New Mental Health Court Provides New Approach
CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) -- A new program that allows criminals with mental health problems to avoid jail while getting treatment is celebrating its first successes.
The Mental Health Court based in Centennial will release four participants from the program on Friday.
District Chief Judge William Sylvester says there are more than 40 participants in a program modeled after Colorado's drug courts that allows people to avoid jail.
The program is one of more than 60 problem-solving courts operating in 17 of Colorado's 22 judicial districts. The problem-solving courts include adult and juvenile drug courts, DUI courts, a veteran trauma court and truancy courts.
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