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SCPD Testifies on Mental Health Diversion Legislation

Published: February 15, 2026

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Chief Public Defender Jerri Green testified before the Tennessee Senate Judiciary Committee in support of statewide expansion of mental health diversion, citing outcomes from SCPD’s Jericho Project. Green described how connecting people to treatment rather than incarceration reduces recidivism and restores lives.

The testimony is part of a broader SCPD effort to bring evidence from Memphis courtrooms into the policy debate in Nashville.

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