October 20, 2003

Barbara Schneider Foundation and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Minnesota sponsored a symposium on one of the largest problems facing the mental health community – the criminalization of people with mental illness. Too many people with mental illness end up in our jails because of their symptoms and lack of treatment. The costs to the criminal justice system and to human lives is inordinate. And the problem is growing.

This symposium spotlighted projects in Minnesota that are addressing the many issues of this complex problem:

• How this issue can be addressed in rural, urban and suburban communities and for both children and adults
• Participants committed to steps that can be taken in their own communities and identified what is needed to move forward
• Networking and information sharing for mental health community, elected officials, human service officials and first responders