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Guest column: Mental health services now available for offenders Your turn For many years, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and our courts have struggled with how to handle individuals charged with non-violent misdemeanors who also suffer from severe and persistent mental illness. These individuals are often arrested for minor “nuisance” offenses such as trespassing, breach of peace, sleeping in public or the open consumption of alcohol. They are booked into the jail as the result of their arrest, but due to a lack of community alternatives their mental illness is never fully addressed. As a result, some are released after being sentenced to the time they have served, and others remain in jail for weeks until it is recognized that their offenses are largely due to their mental illness. Over time, it was common for those with mental illnesses to cycle in-and-out of our jails for repeated nuisance offenses our jail system developed the undesired reputation of being the larg

United statesMelissa nelsonMarkh mahonCindy funkhouserCharlie coferMike williamsMark mahonCity council member ron salemSulzbacher centerJacksonville sheriff officeMental health offender programAttorney officePublic defender officeJacksonville sheriffBaker actState attorney