Adams County to use grant to help mentally ill offenders

QUINCY, Ill. (AP) - Adams County will use a $29,000 state grant to begin a court specifically for nonviolent criminal offenders.

The grant announced Thursday comes from Adult Redeploy Illinois . It's a state program that uses community support systems to keep nonviolent criminals out of prison to save money and reduce recidivism.

Adams County will create a Mental Health Court by July. It will resemble the county's 10-year-old Drug Court. Nonviolent offenders diagnosed with a serious mental illness will undergo an intensive probation program. That program will include counseling, medication monitoring, frequent court appearances and probation appointments.

Assistant State's Attorney Jamie Friye (FRYE') will oversee the court. She says the program will help direct mentally ill defendants away from jail or prison and toward the treatment they need.