Report: Few resources for mentally ill

The Treatment Advocacy Center said California hospitals now dedicate just 17 beds for mentally ill patients for every 100,000 residents, down sharply from just a few years ago.

Local law enforcement officials told the L.A. Daily News that because of the overcrowded ER rooms, local jails have become a de facto safety net for mental health services.

Of the nearly 20,000 inmates in the county's jail system, an estimated 60 percent suffer from mental illness.

 

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