Mental health court is move in right direction

A promising innovation in the judiciary under way in St. Louis is known as the mental health court.

Since the mental health court opened a year ago, about 100 people have been referred to Judge James Sullivan. The court seeks treatment that will help prevent future arrests.

"The goal of the mental health court is to reduce repeat offenders and make them take part in court-ordered treatment. We're trying to link them with services," said Sullivan.

Modeled after one in New York City, the St. Louis court arose out of a 1998 proposal by then-St. Louis Mayor Clarence Harmon to focus on mental-health issues and drug abuse.

Judge Sullivan continued: "If we address that problem when it's small, we save that person, that person's family, society and taxpayers. We save the cost of when that person commits a major crime, the heartache, the whole nine yards."

This certainly sounds like a good approach.

We commend leaders of the judiciary in Missouri for heading down this road.