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Representatives from all three branches of Florida government attended a mental health summit at the Florida Supreme Court. A 200-page report was released. It recommends that the state spend more money on community based mental health programs for prisoners, rather than keep them in the criminal justice system. Judge Steven Leifman helped author the report. The special advisor the Florida Supreme Court says the move will save the state money in the long run.

“We’re going to have a much larger deficit over the next few years if they don’t address these problems,” Leifman said. “We’ve come up a way for them, and with them, really, that will helps them save hundreds of millions in general revenue dollars by using this federal money and by earmarking the money we’ve already put out there.”

Leifman says Florida can serve as a model for other states in moving the mentally ill out of prisons and into community-based programs.