On October 27, 2003, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed S. 1194, the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2003. The Act was introduced by Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH) and would be a good start towards ensuring that mentally ill offenders receive the proper treatment they need with grants designed to create community based treatment programs and other services.

The bill has now been scheduled to reach the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, October 6. There appears to be great bipartisan support for the bill but under the rules the House is following, the bill will need a two-thirds majority in order to pass.

Please contact your Representative ASAP and ask him orher to vote for S. 1194, the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2003. If you don't know your Representative's phone number, call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and asked to be connected to his or her office.

[source: e-mail from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.]

Here is Sen. Leahy's statement on why the bill will reduce crime. AFSCME, the the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, also strongly endorses the bill.