Hundreds gather to push for more mental health support in Georgia

Hundreds gathered on the statehouse steps on Wednesday to applaud state efforts to steer mental health patients toward alternative sentencing programs and push for a broader safety net for those suffering from illnesses.

Gov. Nathan Deal told a cheering crowd that his budget proposal includes funds for three additional mental health crisis service centers and an expansion of mobile response teams across the state.

He tied the funding to a three-year criminal justice overhaul that bolstered alternative sentencing programs designed at keeping low-level offenders out of prisons.

“It’s much better to put our resources in that environment than to simply lock them up in a very expensive prison bed,” said Deal.

Advocates pushed for more funds to treat more than 7,500 residents still on waiting lists to receive community-based services and other support.

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