A mental health court opened Oct. 2 in the Upper Peninsula.
The court will serve the eastern U.P., including Alger, Schoolcraft, Luce, Mackinac, and Chippewa counties.
Officials say the mental health court will work like an alcohol or drug court, focusing more on rehabilitation than punishment.
Michigan Supreme Court Justice Kurtis Wilder attended the opening of the court on Monday.
“If you find the underlying problem that caused the person to get into the system in the first place, solve that problem the chances are likely, highly likely that person will never recidivate.”
Wilder said rehabilitation is a main component of the court.
“I think it's critically important to have as many resources as possible in rural Michigan. Any time you can offer another way, a way that offers a person long term rehabilitation, the chance not to become another statistic of recidivism, I think we should do that.”
Wilder said the Eastern Upper Peninsula regional court is the 32nd mental health court in Michigan. There are over 100 other speciality courts in the state.
