To join this meeting, please go to the top floor of the Immanuel Lutheran Church at 2:30 pm on Friday, March 10. We will meet with County Commissioner Michelle Derusseau at 3:30 at the same location. The first half of the meeting will be designated for discussion around the mental health campaign with the second half covering jail alternatives.

Purpose: The County Commission sits directly at the epicenter of two of our campaigns (1) Mental Health and (2) Alternatives to Incarceration. County Commissioner Michelle Derusseau is the newest member of the Commission. We wish to demonstrate support for and express an alternative vision for:

1. Long Wait Times for Mental Health Crisis Treatment - Instead of the present plan that says we should wait several years for a $10 million dollar Crisis Center facility to open, we know of one suitable building that can would cost $140,000/year to rent and is available to be open within 90 days.
2. Bigger Jails - Instead of rushing to put a vote before the voters before a full study of alternatives is conducted and putting $30 million into a bigger jail, we know that there are more restorative uses of our limited tax limited money and cities like Oklahoma City have discovered reforms to their system that make additional jail space unnecessary.

Please join us as we begin to chart a different path for Lawrence when it comes to incarceration and mental health services.