In 2008, Johnson County found that 17% of inmates in jails were in need of mental health treatment.  The county looked to build a plan that would target points of contact between the justice system and potential inmates.  This system would then allow the mentally ill to be moved to treatment centers at the appropriate time, instead of a prison.

The cost of the program was roughly $60,000 and the result is a system that aids law enforcement in early detection of the mentally ill and helps move them to treatment centers faster.  

This case study was nominated for ICMA's Annual Awards Program.