The Kentucky Commission on Mental Health hosted a town hall in Owensboro on Wednesday, seeking to hear the stories of residents and their experiences with the intersection of mental illness and the judicial system. It was the first of nine planned town halls across the state.
Daviess County Chief Circuit Judge Lisa Jones said hearing directly from the public is vital to making necessary changes.
“We were here to listen, so we can take these things back to those statewide discussions. We can take people’s concerns and bring them to the legislature and the commission, bring them to the statewide agencies and say ‘Here are people’s concerns and gaps, here are the questions that they want answered, here are the things that are important to them,’ and we can work on finding solutions,” Jones said.
She said that since she spends time as the judge for mental health court, drug court, and criminal court, many of the questions and cases that people brought up at the town hall dealt with issues she sees firsthand.
While she often takes the concerns and issues of the people to the Commission herself, she said the public being able to tell their own stories to the Commission is more meaningful.
“They want to hear from real people. The citizens of Daviess County confirmed things that I’ve seen as well, and I’m glad that those concerns are being heard and listened to,” she said.
After all the town halls have been completed, the Commission will take the common concerns and try to find solutions.
