Experts alarmed by increase in Baker Acts | Gainesville.com

Sad commentary on our society's state of affairs when the criminal justice system serves as the intake and last chance for many with mental illness. This was echoed by Paul Gionfriddo in his appearance on High Noon in Lake Worth last December. Paul is a Lake Worth resident and an advocate the humane treatment of those with mental illness. Click title for link to article. Here is some of the jist:

Baker Acting has increased 79 percent in Florida over the past decade, according to the Baker Act Reporting Center at the University of South Florida. Part of the reason for the surge may be that, "you have an economic environment where people lose jobs … that also increases the pressure that they feel. People get to the breaking point," Pittman said.
Kristina Ragosta, the director of advocacy at the Treatment Advocacy Center in Washington, D.C., said she isn't sure if the spike is necessarily a red flag for over-usage of the law, or a red flag regarding inadequate follow-up treatment with patients.