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I+F q 1 rj9\l <br />Res-2015-038 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 4c <br />Resolution Supporting "Stepping Up Initiative to <br />Reduce theNumber of People with Mental Illnesses in Jails" <br />WHEREAS, counties routinelyprovide treatment services to the estimated 2 millionpeople with <br />serious mental illnesses booked into jails each year; and <br />WHEREAS, prevalence rates of serious mental illnesses in confinementfacilities are three to six <br />timeshigher than for the general population, with statistics showing that almost 13% of North <br />Carolina's prison population requires some type of interventiondue to mental health issues; and <br />WHEREAS, almost three-quartersof adultswithseriousmentalillnesses in jails have co-occurring <br />substance use disorders; and <br />WHEREAS, adults with mental illnesses tend to stay longer in jail andupon release are at a higher <br />risk of recidivism than people without these disorders; and <br />WHEREAS, county jails spend two to threetimes more on adults with mental illnesses that require <br />interventions compared to those without these treatment needs; and <br />WHEREAS, without the appropriate treatment and services, people with mental illnesses can <br />continue to cycle throughthecriminal justice system, often resulting in tragicoutcomes for these <br />individuals, their families, and their communities; and <br />WHEREAS, county jails are generally an unsafe environment for those withmental health <br />treatment needs; and <br />WHEREAS, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners has undertaken a serious <br />effort to address the local service needs of those with mental illnesses throughthe appointment of <br />a special Task Force; and <br />WHEREAS, Orange County, like all counties, takes pride in our responsibility to protect and <br />enhance thehealth, welfare and safety of our residents in efficient, safe, and socially just ways; <br />and <br />WHEREAS, through the Stepping Up Initiative, the National Association of Counties, the Council of <br />State Governments Justice Center and the American PsychiatricFoundation are encouraging <br />counties to reduce the numberof people with mental illnesses in county jails; <br />NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved by theOrange County Board of Commissioners: <br />1. That the Board of Commissioners doeshereby sign onto the Call to Action to reduce the <br />numberof peoplewithmental illnesses in our county jail and commits to sharing lessons <br />learned with other counties in North Carolina and across the country to support theStepping <br />Up Initiative; and <br />2. That the Board of Commissioners will utilize resourcesavailablethrough the Stepping Up <br />Initiative and other resources provided by the Council of State Governments Justice Center to <br />convene a diverse team of leaders and decisionmakersfrommultiple agencies who are <br />committed to safely reducing thenumberof people with mental illnesses in jails, and <br />3. That this teamwill utilizethe comprehensive resources availablethrough the Stepping Up <br />Initiative to develop a plan to reducethe number of people with mentalillness in the countyjail <br />for 2016-2020, consistent with theCouncil of State Governments Justice Center report and <br />recommendations, tobe presented to the Board of Commissioners at its first meeting in <br />December 2015. <br />This the 1St day of September, 2015. 5a <br />e <br />Earl McKee, Chair <br />Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />19