COUNTY OF OAKLAND

OFFICE OF THE SHERIFF

MICHAEL J. BOUCHARD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Undersheriff Mike McCabe

(248) 858-0146

LEGISLATURE TO CONSIDER MEASURES TO REDUCE BACKLOGS

AND BETTER UTILIZE STATE CORRECTIONS RESOURCES
Bouchard says bipartisan measures to expand options for individuals in the justice system to receive
appropriate medical or mental health care in a timely manner will “save money, improve public safety”

December 5, 2017 (Oakland County, Mich.) - On Tuesday, December 5th, the Michigan House Law and
Justice Committee voted to approve five measures which will give state and county law enforcement officials
expanded options for evaluating and treating those with serious mental health and medical conditions.

House Bills 5234 (Howrylak) and 5245 (Kesto) will authorize County Sheriffs and the state Department of
Corrections to draw on a wider range of options to provide individuals with serious medical or mental health
diagnoses needed treatment in the most appropriate setting. This will also enable the costs of such treatment to
be defrayed by Medicaid, alleviating some of the cost burden to the state.

“A sizeable percentage of those incarcerated have serious health conditions, both mental and physical, that our
corrections system is simply not best equipped to handle,” said Oakland County Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard.
“Giving more flexibility to law enforcement to move inmates to facilities that can provide appropriate care
simply makes sense. It will reduce costs, reduce burdens on the corrections system, ensure individualized and
appropriate treatment which will reduce the likelihood of recidivism, and overall improve public safety.”

In 2016, an estimated 9,395 inmates in state prisons had a severe mental illness, up from 8,213 in 2012. In
Oakland County, an average of 35% of its inmate population is on a medication for mental health purposes.
This is up from 8% of the inmate population in the early 2000’s.

House Bills 5243, 5244, and 5246 (Kesto) will reduce the wait time for those in the criminal justice system
awaiting mental health evaluations. Currently, when psychiatric evaluations are required to establish whether an
individual is competent to stand trial, defendants in Michigan wait an average of six months in jail to receive the
evaluation before a trial even begins.

“We should not force individuals facing charges or serving time to wait months for a psychological evaluation,”
said House Law and Justice Committee Chair Klint Kesto, who is a former prosecutor and the lead sponsor of
the measures. “For many of these individuals, the length of the time they spend in prison waiting for the
competency hearing is actually longer than the sentence they’d receive if found guilty. This is both a disservice
to the individuals in question and a significant waste of taxpayer dollars.”
The measures would put time limits of 30 to 45 days - the same used by the federal government - on how long
prisoners can wait for such evaluations. The measures direct the Michigan Department of Health and Human
Services to use all available resources to solve the problem, including certifying additional facilities to share the
statewide workload.

These reforms emerged out of the House C.A.R.E.S. (Community, Access, Resources, Education, and Safety)
Task Force hearings, established by House Speaker Tom Leonard to collect input and develop policy
recommendations around mental health challenges in Michigan.

“House Speaker Tom Leonard has shown real leadership in prioritizing the needs of Michigan residents facing
mental health challenges,” said Representative Martin Howrylak, one of the sponsors of the bills. “The goal
must always be safety. We want to ensure that people are more likely to be contributing members of society
when they leave the custody of the state than when they enter. These measures will expand the ability of law
enforcement and our Department of Corrections to better utilize state resources to address the serious medical
and mental health issues many individuals in the justice system face.”

Co-chaired by Health Policy Committee Chair Hank Vaupel and Law and Justice Committee Chair Klint Kesto,
the C.A.R.E.S. Task Force held five hearings throughout the state during the summer and fall this year, listening
to regular citizens and experts alike.

“Our criminal justice system needs to be both more efficient and creative in developing methods to effectively
help our community members currently in prison, so they can safely return to their families and our
communities as responsible and contributing members.” West Michigan business leader Dick DeVos said.
DeVos continued, "These reforms are important step forward for taxpayers, for victims and for families
throughout our state. We urge the legislature to swiftly approve these measures.”

Added Lenore Anderson, President of the Alliance for Safety and Justice, a national organization working with
crime survivors in Michigan, “With this package of bills, Michigan lawmakers and law enforcement are
demonstrating a clear commitment to public safety, working together to pursue smart solutions that break cycles
of crime, reduce recidivism and improve safety. We are honored to work alongside these leaders and look
forward to continuing to build a safer Michigan together.”

The legislation was reported with recommendation to the House floor by the House Law and Justice Committee
on Tuesday, December 5, 2017.
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