Bishops support legislation to give mentally ill offenders treatment

Published: 2003-11-24

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Domestic Policy said legislation that would ensure mentally ill criminal offenders get the treatment they need is a good start to address the needs of mentally ill prisoners. Washington Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, committee chairman, commented on the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2003 in a letter to Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, who introduced the bill. A Nov. 19 news release on the letter said the cardinal noted that while the mentally ill population poses a difficult challenge to society, and to the criminal justice system in particular, many individuals suffering from a mental illness are being housed in prisons and jails across the country. He quoted the bishops' 2000 pastoral statement, "Responsibility, Rehabilitation and Restoration: A Catholic Perspective on Crime and Criminal Justice," which stated that "while government has an obligation to protect the community from those who become aggressive or violent because of mental illness, it also has a responsibility to see that the offender receives the proper treatment for his or her illness." The legislation passed in the Senate Oct. 29. The House has yet to vote on a similar measure.

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