Summit County Sheriff Drew Alexander is heading to Columbus to join a panel discussion about the mental health system this Friday.
Alexander gained attention this year after he announced the county jail would no longer accept violent mentally ill individuals .
A study done by the National Institute of Corrections, an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice, influenced his decision.
"They came in and looked at our situation and one of the things they advised us to do was to stop taking in the severely mentally ill," Alexander said. "The liabilities factors go through the roof."
Alexander said plans need to be put in place in order to take care of individuals with mental health issues who show violent tendencies.
"We have to come up with a plan for them. We have to do something with these folks. We just can't take them back to the streets and release them," Alexander said.
The event titled "The Great Mental Health Debate: Acknowledging the Elephants in the Room" will be hosted by the National Alliance of Mental Illness of Ohio.
