Witnesses testified about programs the criminal justice system offers for mentally ill offenders. Concern was expressed that jails and prisons did not have adequate programs to treat mentally ill offenders, and that more cooperation was needed between the justice system and the mental health and substance abuse treatment systems. The committee was considering Senate Bill 1194, The Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2003. The bill would establish a grant fund to finance cooperative efforts between law enforcement and mental health providers, including training, treatment, mental health courts, and other joint endeavors.

Senator DeWine was chairman of the Mental Health Subcommittee of the Senate Health Committee.