NYC to Reduce Number of Inmates With Mental Disabilities: Administration

MOSCOW, December 3 (Sputnik) — Mayor of New York Bill de Blasio has launched an action plan to reduce the number of people with behavioral health issues behind bars, allocating $130 million to tackle the problem, the city's administration said in a statement.

"For years, the criminal justice system has been the default for dealing with behavioral and mental health issues, but that approach alone does not best serve public health or public safety," the city's administration quoted de Blasio as saying on the official website Tuesday.

The plan will receive some $130 million in investment, $40 million will come from Manhattan's district attorney to insure public safety and improving the justice system.

According to de Blasio, the plan will mean "not only safer streets, but stronger neighborhoods and healthier people."

New York City's Task Force on Behavioral Health and the Criminal Justice System is charged with developing strategies to ensure that people suffering from mental disorders do not enter the criminal justice system but receive health care instead. Other strategies include assuring that mentally ill patients receive therapeutic treatment in the event they are imprisoned.

Over the last 20 years, New York City has experienced a significant drop in crime, and has substantially reduced the number of inmates in prison facilities, according to the city administration. However, the proportion of inmates with mental health problems in relation to the total number of incarcerated has increased.