To meet the needs of defendants who have been determined to be unfit for trial languishing in county jails, State Senator Karina Villa advanced a measure last Tuesday. “As is, our justice system is unable to care for every individual living with mental health conditions who is unfit for trial which leads to people being sent to jail rather than receiving the treatment they need to undergo fair court proceedings,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “Modeling best practices within the criminal justice system and focusing on effective rehabilitation efforts will result in better mental health outcomes for impacted individuals.” House Bill 3572 would clarify standards to determine whether someone unfit to stand trial should be diverted to outpatient state mental health treatment programs. The goal is to ensure individuals who are unfit for trial do not spend more time in confinement than fit people who were convicted of similar offenses. House Bill 3572 passed the Senate Criminal Law Committee on Tuesday.