Hudson County Executive Craig Guy and Commissioner Bill O’Dea (District 2) released the following statements calling for the State of New Jersey to facilitate consideration for a mental health diversion program in Hudson County:
“As a Jersey City police officer for 25 years, I was on the frontlines, protecting our community and working with residents to ensure our neighborhoods were safe,” Guy said. “As county executive, I have implemented many public safety efforts and remain dedicated to keeping all 12 of our Hudson County municipalities free from senseless crime.
“While we can all agree that keeping violent offenders off our streets is a top priority, I believe we must take a different approach to nonviolent offenders struggling with mental health issues. We look forward to discussing with the Administrative Office of the Courts the best options for creating mental health diversion programs in Hudson County.
“I am confident we can achieve the same type of success other jurisdictions have experienced with mental health diversion programs here in Hudson County. We have seen that same success in the three mental health diversion programs right here in New Jersey and, as we are the densest county in the state, I believe it is time to bring a mental health diversion program to Hudson County. Creation of a mental health diversion program is supported by the Board of Commissioners, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, Office of the Public Defender, and mental health advocates. As County Executive, I will always look for commonsense solutions to prioritize community safety while fostering humane initiatives for our most vulnerable residents.”
Said O’Dea:
“This is something I’ve been advocating for a long time because I’ve seen firsthand how many individuals in the Hudson County Correctional and Rehabilitation Center are struggling with untreated mental health conditions. Incarceration of these individuals makes things worse. A mental health diversion program in Hudson County would allow us to divert nonviolent individuals into treatment instead of jail — giving them a real chance at stability while also reducing costs for taxpayers. These programs have been proven to work in other parts of New Jersey and across the country. It’s time we bring this compassionate, commonsense solution to Hudson County.”
Mental health diversion programs allow eligible defendants with severe mental health issues to work within the criminal justice system and seek treatment rather than incarceration. Programs administered through mental health diversion programs would help these individuals receive the care they need and get them back on track to becoming productive members of society.
Above all, mental health diversion programs have been proven to work. Since its creation in 2002, the Brooklyn Mental Health Court has been vital in reducing recidivism among offenders and improving mental health outcomes. In fact, the Borough of Brooklyn saw the following:
- A 46% reduction in the likelihood of rearrest for Mental Health Court participants versus a comparison group.
- A 29% reduction in the likelihood of a reconviction for Mental Health Court participants versus a comparison group.
- An 84% compliance rate with court mandates by active participants.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.