BJA Announces 2006 MIOTCRA Grantees

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice has awarded 27 grants in 19 states under its Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program, which was authorized by the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2004 (MIOTCRA). The 2006 grantees will receive funding through the program to conduct work that falls into three categories: planning, planning and implementing, or implementing and expanding collaborations to improve responses to people with mental illnesses involved in the criminal justice system.

Click here to see the full list of 2006 grantees.

The Council of State Governments (CSG), coordinator of the Criminal Justice / Mental Health Consensus Project, and the National Association of Counties will provide technical assistance to the new grantees. As the technical assistance provider for BJA's Mental Health Courts Program, CSG will continue to provide support to the mental health court learning sites.

Key congressional supporters of the grant program are working closely with colleagues to ensure continued funding for the program in fiscal year 2007. Over the summer, the House of Representatives passed its FY '07 Science, State, Justice, Commerce Appropriations bill, which reserved $5 million for the program. The Senate Appropriations Committee also reserved $5 million in its FY '07 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill.

Click here for more information on FY '07 appropriations and contact Hope Glassberg for more information on outreach to members of Congress to ensure continued funding support.