[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 40 (Wednesday, March 3, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H1021]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               STOP TREATING MENTAL ILLNESS LIKE A CRIME

  (Ms. PORTER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, equality and justice are core values of this 
country, yet for Americans with mental illness, the risk of being 
killed when approached by law enforcement is 16 times higher. An 
estimated one in four fatal police encounters ends the life of an 
individual with mental illness.
  We are not fulfilling the promise of equality and justice for 
Americans with mental illnesses and disabilities. That is why I 
introduced the Mental Health Justice Act, which would create 
specialized mental health first responder units. If someone is 
experiencing a mental health crisis, they are better served by a 
trained mental health professional, not a police officer.
  Mental illness is not a crime, and we have to stop treating it like 
one. Getting the right help to individuals with mental illnesses 
prevents them from getting tangled up in a system that isn't built to 
serve their needs.
  The Mental Health Justice Act makes our communities healthier and 
safer, more equal, and more just.

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