Bill > SB1304

This bill, known as "Joshua's Law," aims to improve the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness among incarcerated individuals in Arizona by mandating earlier and more comprehensive assessments and interventions. It requires sheriffs to screen individuals entering county jails for pre-existing mental health conditions and ensure continuity of prescribed medications and treatments within 24 hours of arrival, and to request serious mental illness (SMI) determinations from relevant authorities within seven days if a prisoner has a diagnosed mental illness. For state prisoners, the bill mandates that within 72 hours of displaying symptoms of a mental disorder, a psychiatrist or physician must examine them, and the Department of Corrections (DOC) director can facilitate voluntary transfer to treatment facilities or initiate court proceedings for involuntary transfer if necessary, with specific procedures for notice, hearings, and counsel. Furthermore, before a convicted prisoner is transferred to DOC custody, the medical director must ensure they are evaluated by a psychiatrist to determine their mental disorder and create a written treatment plan, including medication, other chronic conditions, appropriate placement within the prison system, and any other necessary provisions, which must also be approved by a court. The bill also clarifies that a screening agency can file a petition for court-ordered evaluation if a prisoner is unable or unwilling to undergo voluntary evaluation and is a danger to themselves or others, or has a grave disability, and that sheriffs can file such petitions under certain circumstances.

Budget and Finance, Military Affairs and Security

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/84839