H-4657.1          _______________________________________________

                            SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2847

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1992 Regular Session

By House Committee on Human Services (originally sponsored by Representatives Leonard, Hargrove, Prentice, Winsley, H. Myers, Beck, Riley, Anderson, Brekke, Wineberry and Basich)

Read first time 02/07/92.  Studying sentencing options for offenders with mental disorders.

     AN ACT Relating to the placement of mentally disordered offenders; and creating new sections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.      The legislature finds that mentally ill offenders represent a significant and growing portion of our current inmate population in prisons and jails.  Funding constraints in mental health treatment coupled with administrative and legal impediments to initiating referrals to the mental health system have resulted in jails and prisons being used as the treatment centers of last resort.  The use of scarce prison and jail beds as treatment options for the mentally ill offender represents an expensive and sometimes inappropriate use of state resources.  The legislature further finds that sentencing alternatives for seriously mentally ill offenders that do not represent a threat to public safety need to be appropriately considered.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.      The sentencing guidelines commission, in cooperation with the division of mental health of the department of social and health services, the department of corrections, the Washington institute of public policy, and appropriate advocacy groups, shall identify and suggest appropriate sentencing options for offenders with mental disorders as defined in RCW 71.05.020.  In its recommendations, the sentencing guidelines commission shall consider the types of offenders who may qualify for suggested alternatives, types and sources of the mental disorder diagnoses, methods for assurance of public safety, and other necessary information.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.      The sentencing guidelines commission shall submit a written report to the appropriate committees of the house of representatives and the senate, respectively, on or before December 12, 1992.