Alexis King

The role of the District Attorney with respect to mental illness is to divert, wherever possible, those with mental illness from the criminal justice system.  Our healthcare system is woefully under-equipped to adequately address this healthcare issue. I support the development and expansion of highly successful co-responder programs to place mental health professionals with police responders, so that folks who can safely be managed with a healthcare response are.  For those who commit criminal offenses, I also support the expansion of adult pre-file diversion so that we keep folks for whom we can safely intervene with a healthcare response “off paper” and minimize the collateral consequences of involvement with the criminal justice system. Where community safety demands criminal justice system involvement, I support the expansion of our mental health diversion courts and increased resources for our probation departments and prisons to adequately respond to and treat and manage mental health issues with dignity and respect, thereby preventing re-offense.  Additionally, part of the rise in our population of justice-involved women is due to unresolved trauma. We must respond with adequate resources for crime victims and survivors who experience trauma and trauma-related mental health impacts to prevent future victimization and system involvement.