Stephen Goldsmith, a Harvard professor and former Indianapolis mayor, will present his ideas for how Baton Rouge might pursue building a mental health facility at a public meeting set for 2 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall.
“He’s going to be giving people a look at the whole issue, instead of just one aspect of it, which I think is the right approach,” says Metro Councilman Chandler Loupe, who invited Goldsmith to come to Baton Rouge to share his ideas. “I thought since the discussion is occurring in the community that we ought to have somebody who has some expertise in this come and give us some ideas and possible solutions.”
The idea to build a mental health facility to provide treatment for non-violent offenders who often end up in jail due to their illnesses surfaced in Mayor Kip Holden’s $335 million bond proposal that was shelved by the council earlier this year. However, several council members agreed the facility is needed, and they’ve been looking for ways to build a facility without raising taxes.
Loupe says the presentation by Goldsmith, who is also a consultant with Chicago-based Huron Consulting Group, and the following discussion likely will last about an hour and a half. All other council members have been invited to attend, he says, as have stakeholders such as East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff Sid Gautreaux and District Attorney Hillar Moore III.
Loupe says the presentation will include ideas for addressing a possible a mental health facility, as well as how judiciary programs can be used to reduce the unnecessary imprisonment of those who need help for mental illnesses.
“We can’t keep building larger prisons only to see judges lock up people for non-violent misdemeanors,” Loupe says. “So, they’re going to give us a presentation on different approaches to the problem that includes looking at judiciary integration to reduce the prison population and help finance the mental health facility.”
According to Goldsmith’s Harvard profile, he “earned a reputation as one of the country’s leaders in public-private partnerships, competition and privatization” while mayor of Indianapolis. He will make his presentation beginning at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the council chambers on the third floor of City Hall, 222 St. Louis St.
—Steve Sanoski
