WHEREAS law enforcement personnel are often the first responders to situations involving interaction with people who have mental health and/or addiction issues, while facing patchwork social services and limited legal options that adequately and appropriately deal with these individuals from the start; and 

WHEREAS an increasing number of Ontarians frustrated with barriers to community mental health and addiction services  experience their first contact with the mental health system through the justice system; and 

WHEREAS a lack of community mental health/addiction services and resources for persons with mental illness and addictions has been cited as a significant contributor to the growth in the number of persons with mental health issues entering the criminal justice system; and 

WHEREAS the criminal justice system is often the entry point and only way for people with mental health and addiction issues to begin receiving treatment, but only upon arrest for a criminal offence; and 

WHEREAS 36 percent of individuals in custody in Ontario suffer from some form of mental illness, 50 percent of Canadian offenders report substance abuse as a cause of their offence, and about two-thirds of the people admitted to Ontario correctional facilities have had alcohol or drug problems, many of whom continue to experience these difficulties; and 

WHEREAS government ministries in Ontario other than Health and Long-Term Care also fund services that support people with mental illnesses and addictions, including $2.3 billion in law enforcement services; and 

WHEREAS an integrated, coordinated approach to mental health and addiction services from prevention to ongoing supports would significantly improve services AND reduce costs not only in the justice sector, but also government-wide; and 

WHEREAS a study of six years of data from the London Police Service revealed that: 

• Individuals with serious mental illness were more likely than those without mental illness to be in contact with police as suspected offenders, to have a greater number of offences, to reoffend more quickly, and to be formally charged for a suspected offence.
• More resources should be allocated to support persons with mental illness in the community because they tend to have high rates of repeated police contacts for a variety of offences; and  

 WHEREAS the provincial government has already taken major steps to address mental health and addictions issues that negatively impact police resources and the justice system, including: 

• Striking a non-partisan, all-Party Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions, which in August 2010 submitted a final report with 23 recommendations, seven of which relate to the justice sector. 
• In November 2010 in response to the Select Committee’s final report, passing Bill 101, the Narcotics Safety and Awareness Act which permits the monitoring, analyzing and reporting of information related to the prescribing and dispensing of monitored drugs, including OxyContin.
• Creating a Minister’s Advisory Group, which in December 2010 submitted a 10-Year Mental Health and Addictions Strategy for Ontario; and