Mental Illness Editorial #2

Published in Galveston Daily News, 4/28/03

by Judge Susan Criss

There are 44,000 mentally ill persons in prisons and jails in Texas. Over 106,000 Texans are on probation and parole. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is the largest mental health care provider in the State.

Why do so many mentally ill persons end up in the criminal justice system? Mentally