By rssfeeds-admin 
The Southern Anti-Racism Network hosted a forum on Wednesday evening at the South Columbus Public Library, bringing together representatives from the Columbus Police Department, Muscogee County Prison, New Horizons Behavioral Health, and the United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley.
Pat Frey, vice president of United Way, said addressing these issues will require collaboration and creativity.
“We can’t continue to do the same thing we’ve done and expect different results,” Frey said. “We have a need for flexibility and rethinking what housing looks like in our community.”
When asked about the city’s role, Frey emphasized the need for sustained commitment to make lasting change.
Deputy Warden Normae Beecham of Muscogee County Prison said many people in the justice system are struggling with untreated mental health conditions.
“You do see more mental health offenders incarcerated, and I hate that,” Beecham said. “Not all the time should they be incarcerated, but you see it happen a lot. Our job is to supervise them, and we can’t say they can’t be there.”
Beecham added that the prison partners with New Horizons to identify mental health needs, provide medication and counseling, and help people reconnect with services once they return to the community.
Assistant Chief Joyce Dent-Fitzpatrick of the Columbus Police Department said officers are trained to take a compassionate approach when dealing with individuals in crisis.
“None of these officers want to put anybody in jail,” Dent-Fitzpatrick said. “We’re trying to get people the resources they need through programs like New Horizons.”
Speakers at the forum agreed that breaking down silos between agencies, neighborhoods, and local government is key to lasting progress.
They called for coordinated services, flexible zoning policies, and an engaged community to tackle the challenges together.
Discover more from RSS Feeds Cloud
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.