# Understanding the Mental Healthcare in Re-Entry Act

This bill creates a new federal program to help people with serious mental illnesses get connected to mental health care when they're released from prison or jail. Right now, many people leave incarceration without any mental health support, which can lead them back to crime or homelessness. This bill tries to fix that problem.

Here's how it works in practice: When someone enters a prison or jail, they'll answer a short survey—just 5 to 10 questions—designed to identify serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression. The questions ask about symptoms they're experiencing and whether they've used mental health medications or been hospitalized for mental health reasons before. If their answers suggest they have a serious mental illness, a mental health outreach team gets notified. Before the person is released, the team tries to meet with them in person to connect them with a mental health provider in their community. If they can't meet in person before release, the team calls within 24 to 48 hours after release and tries to set up that connection. They'll make at least three phone attempts and even try visiting the person's home if needed.

The bill funds this program through grants to states and local jails, with the federal government providing $100 million in the first year, growing to $140 million by 2030. The money goes toward hiring mental health liaison staff at detention centers, developing the screening surveys, building any necessary technology, and paying the outreach teams. The bill also requires independent researchers to study whether these programs actually work—measuring whether people who get screened and referred have lower arrest rates, better employment, and better mental health outcomes over the next ten years. An advisory board will oversee everything and share what works best so other communities can learn from successful programs.