Criminal Justice / Mental Health Consensus Project

Mental Health Courts

Mental health courts (MHCs) are specialized dockets that link defendants with mental illnesses to court-supervised, community-based treatment in lieu of traditional case processing. The CSG Justice Center has provided technical assistance to MHCs across the country on behalf of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).

Download the new edition of The Essential Elements of a Mental Health Court

BJA Mental Health Court Learning Sites

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has designated five mental health courts as learning sites to provide a peer support network for local and state officials interested in planning a new--or improving upon an existing--mental health court.

The five learning sites are:

Akron Municipal Mental Health Court (OH)
Bonneville County Mental Health Court (ID)
Bronx County Mental Health Court (NY)
Dougherty Superior Court (GA)
Washoe County Mental Health Court (NV)

Click here for more information on the learning sites and how to arrange site visits.

Third National Survey of Mental Health Courts

Share your expertise by participating in a national initiative to survey all existing mental health courts.

Completing the survey will enable your court to be profiled on the Justice Center's Criminal Justice/Mental Health Information Network (InfoNet), a comprehensive database that inventories programs, research, and media.

Click here to complete the survey.

Read more about the InfoNet and the Justice Center's efforts to survey mental health courts.

Resources

BJA/Justice Center
Publications

Links to Relevant Websites

Research

Media

Judges' Resources:
Visit the website of the Judges' Criminal Justice / Mental Health Leadership Initiative, coordinated by the Justice Center and the National GAINS Center.