NJ Ups Efforts To Keep Weapons Away From Mentally Ill People

By David Madden

TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) - There's been a lot of talk in recent months about efforts to keep guns out of the hands of mentally ill people. New Jersey has taken a major step on that front.

The challenge has always been how to keep track of them to stop them from purchasing a weapon in the first place. New Jersey has now entered into a national program.

The Civil Commitment Automated Tracking System now has details on cases dating back almost 40 years.

"There's over 400 thousand records that are now available for these federal licensee agencies to investigate," says Judge Glenn Grant, who is acting administrator for New Jersey's courts. "And we've had approximately 200 individuals that have been denied weapons as a result of discovering a mental health prohibitor."

Those cases involve people who were involuntarily committed for treatment.

The next step is to include those who committed themselves, which will involve another 600,000 plus people across the state.