Kansas, like most states and the nation as a whole, has a long history of criminalizing mental illness. The KHI News Serviceand the Topeka Capital-Journal are recounting that history in a series of reports that began yesterday (SUN) and will continue this week. They’re digging into the reasons that many Kansans with mental illness continue to find themselves ensnared in a criminal justice system that is ill-equipped to provide them with the help they need. More from Reporter Jim McLean of the KHI News Service.
Many of the initiatives aimed at getting people with mental illness out of the criminal justice system and into treatment will be detailed in the series of stories running this week at KHI.org and in the Topeka Capital Journal.