LD 475
pg. 1
LD 475 Title Page An Act To Improve Conditions for Inmates with Mental Illness Page 2 of 5
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LR 671
Item 1

 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

 
PART A

 
Sec. A-1. Additional beds. The Department of Behavioral and
Developmental Services shall construct the new Riverview
Psychiatric Center according to the expanded footprint design,
adding no more than 20 beds to the hospital's capacity. These
beds must be used as swing beds to accommodate the forensic
and civil commitment needs of the State. Forensic beds must
be made available to county jail inmates who have been
determined to be in need of inpatient psychiatric treatment.
Jail inmates determined to be in need of psychiatric treatment
may not be transferred to the Maine State Prison.

 
PART B

 
Sec. B-1. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations
and allocations are made.

 
BEHAVIORAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL

 
SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF

 
Mental Health Services - Community

 
Initiative: Provides funds for county jail mental illness
treatment pilot programs to fund jail diversion, discharge
planning and mental health services to persons with mental
illness in 3 county correctional facilities. The funds will
be issued via a request for proposal allocating $100,000 for
each pilot.

 
General Fund2003-04

 
All Other$300,000

 
PART C

 
Sec. C-1. Forensic training for mental health workers and corrections officers. The
Department of Corrections shall establish a training program
designed to provide specialized forensic training to case
management and community support providers and providers of
crisis and outpatient mental health services in order to
increase awareness of the criminal justice issues associated
with the treatment of persons with mental illness who are
incarcerated. The department shall provide, no later than
January 30, 2004, a report to the joint standing committee of
the Legislature having jurisdiction over criminal justice
matters on the development and


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