USA's Cumberland County plans to identify repeat offenders at jail

MATT DUNN, mdunn@sjnewsco.com, South Jersey News Online

BRIDGETON -- Cumberland County plans to start a program to identify repeat offenders at the county jail with mental illnesses and drug and alcohol problems.

The program, to be administered through the county guidance center, will train law enforcement to identify mentally ill people or those with substance abuse problems, to provide them with intervention and rehabilitation.

"It will be a re-entry program," said Freeholder Jane Christy. "The guidance center will put these people back on their meds. We will require them to attend rehab for six months after their arrest. This will keep them out of jail."

The program will be for individuals repeatedly convicted of misdemeanors, landing them in the county jail.

According to Christy, the county is footing millions of dollars in medical expenses for people going to jail.

"We had a bill for $1 million one year. The next, it was $2 million," she said. "We began to notice that mental patients were showing up time and time again in jail."

Cumberland County's program is being paid for through grants from the state totaling almost $150,000.

"The money is for training," she said.

The Vineland Police Department will be the first law enforcement agency to receive the training.

Christy said Collingswood and Memphis, Tenn., have similar programs, on which Cumberland County's program has been modeled.

"This is a dream," she said. "It's a good thing that's happening. It's a good thing for families who have a problem relation. When we help the individuals, we help their families."