Care Not Cuffs is a public health campaign that seeks to disentangle mental health from the criminal justice system by providing alternate pathways for treating and managing mental illness in our communities. We’re working with Mental Health Colorado to demand a health-based response to a health care need.
In the absence of adequate access to health services, people with unmanaged mental health needs often intersect with law enforcement and spend time in jails, cycling in and out of detention, homelessness, and joblessness. Calling 9-1-1 for a mental health emergency frequently results in a law enforcement response, leading to a significantly heightened risk of injury and fatality.
We know many of the solutions that need to be implemented. We just need the political will and prioritization to make it happen. The first phase of our campaign focuses on increasing education and demand. By going directly to the people, we aim to build public support for investing in preventative and supportive health care and, in turn, reducing the need to perpetuate ongoing spending on policing, courts, and incarceration. For change to happen, we need community momentum toward putting in place the necessary supports and services to avoid the ongoing incarceration of our mentally ill.
All content courtesy of Care Not Cuffs.
