http://www.abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20030927_539.html N.M. Court Tests Program for Mentally Ill N.M. Court Testing Program in Which Mentally Ill People Accused of Felonies May Avoid Jail The Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Sept. 27 - State court judges in Bernalillo County are beginning a program in which mentally ill people accused of felonies might be able to avoid jail by agreeing to treatment and other conditions. [Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
The court will monitor participants in the pilot program to make sure they take prescribed medication [Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
, and will keep tabs on them through home visits and searches [Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
. "The idea is to get them out of jail and into some kind of intense therapy," said Rachel Saiz, who is coordinating the program for the court's pretrial services unit. Once pretrial services finishes eligibility screening, prosecutors will make an offer to dismiss charges or permit a plea once mental health treatment is completed [Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
. Eligibility will be limited to people diagnosed with serious mental illnesses who face third- or fourth-degree felony charges such as burglary, car theft or felony shoplifting. People facing charges of sex crimes or child abuse are not eligible. District Judge Neil Candelaria said the program, designed to stop repeat offenses, will be launched with 30 defendants who have volunteered to participate. The program was being discussed when a homeless mentally ill man, Duc Pham, shot an Albuquerque policewoman in July, then was fatally shot by officers attempting to detain him. Pham had multiple arrests in his background, but had repeatedly been found incompetent to stand trial. Since the late 1990s, 70 mental health courts have been established or are in the planning stages, according to a September report by NAMI, a national advocacy group for the mentally ill. [Fred A. Baughman Jr., MD:
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