Each year, an estimated 2 million people with serious mental illnesses are admitted to jails across the nation. Jails are now housing more people with mental illnesses than psychiatric hospitals. The Stepping Up Initiative is a national movement to help keep people with mental illness out of jail and on the path to recovery. More than 300 U.S. counties have stepped up to join the initiative, including these 26 California counties:
Alameda, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Humboldt, Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Madera, Mendocino, Merced, Nevada, Orange, Plumas, Riverside, San Diego, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba.
If your county isn’t on this list, please urge your local officials to pass a resolution supporting the Stepping Up Initiative.