One solution to providing for the care and safety of persons with serious mental illness (PSMI's) who have been released into the community is the mental health court. These courts, modeled after drug courts, are for mentally ill persons who commit nonviolent crimes. They emphasize treatment over punishment and promise participants a dismissal of charges or a reduced sentence for successful program completion. The article describes specialized mental health courts for PSMI's in Broward County, FL; King County, WA; Anchorage (Alaska) District Court; and Marion County, IN. The article presents several basic questions that must be seriously examined before establishing mental health courts, including: (1) Will they require new resources or use resources shifted from existing projects? (2) What is the most efficient and effective use of available resources? (3) Who will make treatment decisions? (4) Does the establishment of mental health courts further fragment the court system? (5) What additional judges' training is required? (6) How will the mental health courts respond to PSMI's and subgroups, e.g., women and substance abusers? (7) How will they handle violations of court orders for treatment and services? and (8) Should implementation of mental health courts be encouraged on a large scale before research results support their implementation? Notes