Banged up without rights

Too often police officers are placed in inflammatory situations with mentally ill people where their reaction is to arrest and incarcerate that individual. There is an urgent need for police officers to receive much greater support and training, when they are placed in such situations.

And why doesn’t Victoria introduce a system such as exists in New South Wales, whereby a court can dismiss charges brought against a person who has a mental illness and at the same time, order treatment for that individual?

Finally, says Smart Justice, there ought to be routine screening for severe mental illness when a person is arrested. If an individual is found to be suffering a serious mental illness condition then they deserve to receive treatment and rehabilitation immediately.

When Victorians vote on Saturday they deserve to know which political party will deal with the state’s most pressing crisis - mental illness in its prisons.