Our county’s jails became the state’s mental health hospitals,” said state Sen. Blake Tillery, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “That burden has gone on for far too long.” Sheriffs and police chiefs packed the state Capitol steps Friday and applauded from the gallery as the Senate passed the amended fiscal 2026 budget. Sheriff Ron Freeman of Forsyth County, president of the Georgia Sheriff’s Association, said jails are expected to run out of beds because of increased mental health needs. “Sometimes, the crime was committed because they have a severe mental illness and they need treatment, not incarceration,” Freeman said. In Atlanta, police respond to about 19 mental health calls daily, according to Police Chief Darin Schierbaum. “We have limited places we can take individuals in a health crisis in Atlanta,” Schierbaum said. Schierbaum said officers can take people only to Grady Memorial Hospital or the county’s diversion center. The hospital would be the largest mental health investment Georgia has made since the 1960s, according to Senate leadership. State Rep. Imani Barnes (D-Atlanta) said the plan repeats past mistakes by institutionalizing people rather than pr
