LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) – The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office wants the county to commit to reducing the number of jail inmates who are seriously mentally ill.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports the sheriff’s office will the county commissioners to commit to the reduction during a meeting Wednesday.

Mike Brouwer, re-entry director for the sheriff’s office, says the request is part of a national initiative and coincides with recent developments on a potential county jail expansion and a mental health crisis intervention center project.

In September the sheriff’s office was also awarded nearly $200,000 to hire two case managers to assess potential inmates each month and divert an estimated 25 to treatment alternatives.