New York’s highest judges want to steer more people with addiction or mental illness toward recovery instead of prison, according to Spectrum News.
Chief Judge Rowan Wilson and Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas told lawmakers they’ll work with the Legislature to expand the state’s 350 problem-solving courts and support the proposed Treatment Court Expansion Act. The measure would let judges send eligible defendants to treatment programs rather than jail.
Wilson said it’s cheaper and safer to treat people than incarcerate them — it costs $115,000 a year to imprison one person. Lawmakers plan to prioritize the bill next year, though officials warned that a shortage of treatment providers could slow expansion outside New York City.
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