Jake believes our prison system has been instead of a functioning mental health system for too long. Instead of imprisoning the mentally ill, Jake wants to expand the use of diversion courts who will actually treat mentally ill and substance abusers rather than just locking them up. Jake understands problems of mentally ill because when he was a defense attorney, he specialized in defending veterans. Most veterans he defended suffered  Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) & Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Yes, they had committed crimes but they needed mental health help, not incarceration, to get better. Jake also plans to develop a network of resources in our community to advocate for housing and healthcare for those leaving the prison system to help them break free of the prison system, which now often just cycles people out and then back in jail. 

Brenda Bronson,

Lakewood