Sheriff Releases New Book Focusing on Mental Health Shortfalls
For two years, Sheriff Tony Thompson has been quietly writing a book addressing the
convergence of mental illness and the criminal justice system that he has a front row seat
to every day. The book, Anyplace But Here: The Uncomfortable Convergence Between
Mental Illness and the Criminal Justice System was written during his lunch breaks over
a nearly two-year period and gives a very real-world perspective of how law enforcement
deals with and receives the mentally ill due to what he sees as a broken or dysfunctional
mental health care delivery system.
“I had no idea when first taking office in 2009 how much mental health would impact my
daily duties. Now, fifteen years later, I am overwhelmed by the influence and impacts
that our mentally ill have on our administration. I felt like this was a book that every
loved one and family member of someone suffering from mental illness needed and
deserved” says Sheriff Thompson. “Our predicament today is not one that we can arrest
ourselves out of, nor is it one that we can simply ignore; that approach has essentially
gained us the situation that faces us now.”
Since its release on Amazon on December 22nd, the book has steadily gained momentum,
now recognized as a “#1 New Release in Mental Health Law” on that platform. It is
available in electronic formats (Kindle and Nook), paperback and hardcover, and it is
now in most bookstores and retail outlets online. For more information go to Hog Press.
For more information contact:
Tony Thompson, Sheriff
Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office
(319) 291-2587 ext. 5108
January 2, 2024 by Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office