As a practicing criminal defense attorney, it is apparent that our criminal justice system is overwhelmed, overburdened and badly broken due to the vast number of defendants with mental illness who enter the criminal system. If not for their mental illness, many of these individuals would not likely be in the criminal system to begin with. Mental illness in our criminal system ranges from those who are mildly mentally ill, to those with severe mental illness. 

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Prisons and jails were never meant to house mentally ill individuals, and for the most part are not trained or equipped to properly do so. 

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It is crucial to identify and address mental illness when it is a factor in a criminal case in order to:

• Prevent recidivism 

• Protect victims and society as a whole 

• Reduce the potential for injury to police officers and mental health workers

• Reduce the amount of tax dollars spent housing mentally ill defendants in jail and prison only to repeat the cycle when they are released

• Reduce overcrowded court dockets 

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As a judge with extensive knowledge and training in  mental illness within the criminal system, Mary Ellen won’t be a judge who is soft on crime, but she WILL be a judge who applies the law with logic, reasoning, and available resources, including mental health treatment court where appropriate, to ensure that all criminal defendants receive due process while also ensuring that  justice is applied fairly in all cases.

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Mary Ellen Hayes' commitment to integrity and equality aims to bring about positive change to the judicial system.