Mental Health Court Results

A One Year Snapshot

The Mental Health Court (MHC) began in March of 1999, with few additional resources. Restricted by lack of space and budget, the MHC operated in the jail courtroom, on a shared basis with the arraignment court. Court was held each afternoon, Monday through Thursday, with extra hearings on Friday mornings for emergencies. Even with these limitations, from January through December of 2000, 464 individuals, with 721 cases, each with multiple hearings, were seen in the MHC.

Most defendants seen during this time were male, between the ages of 30 and 60, and Caucasian. The most frequent mental illnesses seen were bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Two thirds of the defendants also had drug or alcohol addictions, and the majority of them were homeless.

The charge types reflected nearly all misdemeanors, with the most frequent being assault, theft, harassment, trespass and property damage. Nearly three quarters had at least one prior case in Seattle Municipal Court.

The warrant rate for failing to appear for court hearings was extremely low, reflecting the approaches of immediate monitoring, "wrap-around" services, personal knowledge about the defendants and next day hearings.

Most importantly, more than two thirds of all those who "opted in" to the MHC continued to be successfully engaged in treatment at the end of their first year.