LANSING — A newly introduced bill in the state House would add an amendment to Michigan's correction code, requiring the state to provide mental health guidelines and plans for each inmate who receives mental health care while incarcerated upon their release.

Rep. Mary Whiteford, R-Casco Township, introduced House Bill 4700 on Tuesday, June 11. Whiteford represents House District 80, which encompasses Allegan County, including parts of the City of Holland.

The proposed bill would require the Michigan Department of Corrections to create a mental health discharge plan before the release of inmates who receive mental health care while in the detention system.

A potential plan would have to include items such as risk assessment, appointments with mental health professionals and framework to ensure that parolees would have access to prescriptions once they are released.

The plan also would mandate department staffers to determine whether or not not parolees are eligible for Medicare or Medicaid, upon release.

Whiteford told The Sentinel the bill would add kinder, more proactive measures for those who struggle with mental illness. Whiteford began working on the bill in 2018, following a visit to a forensics center.

"So many people were stuck at the forensics center because they didn't have community mental health (programs) at home," she said. Whiteford also mentioned that individuals are released without having access to Medicare, calling the process of acquiring the program cumbersome.

"This creates a better process," she said. Whiteford added that providing medication to those who need it to be stable in their everyday lives also keeps other Michiganders safe.

She hopes the legislation will end a "vicious cycle" of incarceration for those with mental illnesses. Whiteford is a member of the House Committee on Health Policy, as well as a health care task force. She expects the legislation to be met favorably by her colleagues in the state's legislature.

Whiteford said that costs of the new program would be offset by keeping individuals out of the justice system. The price of care, she said, is less than the price of incarceration.

Whiteford introduced the bill with District 47 Rep. Hank Vaupel, R-Livingston County. The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Judiciary.

— Contact reporter Arpan Lobo at alobo@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @ArpanLobo.