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As WFAE has been reporting in our series, “Fractured,” locking up defendants with serious mental illness can make their mental health worse. It’s expensive, and it's often not very effective at reducing crime. If former inmates don’t get treatment when released, they’re likely to get arrested again. But in Miami, Florida, public officials are taking a different approach to the issue — jail diversion.

Crisis describes North Carolina’s mental health system. It is harder to access mental health care here than most other states, and that affects everyone — particularly the most vulnerable. Like inmates who are too sick to stand trial. They often wait months in custody for the treatment they need just to be well enough to go to court.

WFAE — with support from the PBS series, "FRONTLINE" — has been examining the problem of inmates living with mental illness. This week we focus on ways to help former inmates stay out of jail. And the ways the system fails to do that.

For those living with severe mental illness, the chances of becoming homeless can be high. Once homeless, they’re more likely to end up behind bars. Going to jail can start a downward spiral. Many lose jobs or benefits — even health care. Some will cycle between jail and the streets for years — often for minor crimes like trespassing. Last week, WFAE — with support from the PBS series, "FRONTLINE" — examined the problem of inmates who wait in custody for months because they’re too sick to stand trial. This week we focus on inmates who cycle in and out of jail, serving what many in the court system call a “life sentence on the installment plan.”

WFAE’s "Fractured" series has reported on the struggles of inmates living with mental illness. But it isn’t just inmates who wait. On average, North Carolinians who go to an emergency room in crisis wait 16 days for a state psychiatric hospital bed.

WFAE has been examining North Carolina’s broken mental health system, especially as it affects people in the criminal justice system. This week, we start to look at the impact this system has on others, such as children, who wait for weeks or months in hospital emergency departments because there’s simply no place for them to go. And people who head to emergency rooms in crisis, only to find the average wait for a state psychiatric hospital is more than two weeks.

North Carolina's jails are on the frontlines of the mental health crisis. Jail staff have to tend to inmates with mental health issues, even though they’re not fully equipped to do so. That can take a high toll on those jails — and the people who work there.

CMPD says they no longer believe there was a second shooter in Monday's deadly standoff. Scenes of grief pop up around Charlotte. CMS school board approves a county budget request. The Center for Legal Advocacy fires its CEO.

Voters choose Republican candidates for NC Council of State. Albemarle police find body of missing teenager. A new fund plans to dole out $40M to Charlotte small businesses. What would a new weather radar mean for Charlotte?

Officials expect very low turnout for today's primary election. CMS asks the General Assembly to ease school calendar restrictions. Charlotte's housing market is still red hot. City Startup Labs helps ease the transition for people leaving prison.

Severe storms wreak havoc across the region. 13 of N.C.'s members of Congress vote to kill a move to oust U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson. An appellate court finds Charlotte Catholic High School within its rights to fire a teacher after learning he was planning to marry same-sex partner.

National Weather Service confirms EF1 tornado in Cleveland County on Wednesday. Charlotte Hornets hire a new head coach. The plight of Charlotte's declining tree canopy is the focus of a new educational campaign. Charlotte FC re-signs one forward, but may lose another.

This week on SouthBound, we’re re-airing host Tommy Tomlinson's 2022 interview with Stephanie Stuckey. Her family founded Stuckey’s, the iconic roadside stands of the South. And after a long fallow period, she bought the company and is resurrecting the brand.

Storms knock out Concord power. Avian flu detected in NC livestock. Fujifilm Biotech to add 600 jobs in Holly Springs. Duke Energy's Carbon Plan hearings begin. And CMS celebrates seniors with "What's Your E?"

Charlotte City Council prepares to vote on Ballantyne development plan. Union County Public Schools pushes for construction bond on November ballot. Sandhills property owners hope to reintroduce planned burns to prevent wildfire.

Kamala Harris visits Charlotte today. SC lawmakers puzzled by mysterious $1.8 billion that has moved through state accounts. Unemployment rose in Mecklenburg County in February. NC teacher attrition rates are up.

Gov. Roy Cooper and Democratic leaders outline new legislation to place a moratorium on private school vouchers. A federal trial over N.C.'s voter ID law begins. N.C.'s Charter School Review Board pulls funding for the state's oldest charter school.

UNCC students protest in support of Palestinians. State officials examine a new pollutant in NC drinking water. Piedmont Lithium Carolinas gets mining permit for a Gaston County facility. Two charter schools get approval for dramatic expansion.

This week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson sits in the guest's chair. Mike Collins, the host of “Charlotte Talks,” interviews Tommy about his new book, “Dogland.” It’s about the Westminster Dog Show and the bond between dogs and their people.

Charlotte City Council holds first hearing on the upcoming fiscal year budget. BMX riders from around the world descend on Rock Hill for the World Championships. A memorial service will be held today for slain officer Sam Poloche.