About the Bureau of Justice Assistance

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, supports law enforcement, courts, corrections, treatment, victim services, technology, and prevention initiatives that strengthen the nation's criminal justice system. BJA provides leadership, services, and funding to America's communities by emphasizing local control; building relationships in the field; developing collaborations and partnerships; promoting capacity building through planning; streamlining the administration of grants; increasing training and technical assistance; creating accountability of projects; encouraging innovation; and ultimately communicating the value of justice efforts to decision makers at every level.

The Justice Center has provided technical assistance on behalf of BJA for nearly 10 years on a range of issues at the intersection of the criminal justice and mental health systems. Through its Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consensus Project, the Justice Center helps jurisdictions plan, implement, and assess collaborative criminal justice/mental health programs; promotes peer-to-peer networking; and develops a range of print and web-based publications, tools, and policy guides.

Current Activities Supported by BJA

Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program

BJA administers the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP), a grant program designed to increase public safety, facilitate collaboration among the criminal justice, juvenile justice, mental health treatment, and substance abuse treatment systems, and improve access to effective treatment for people with mental illnesses involved with the criminal justice system. The Justice Center provides technical assistance on behalf of BJA to the JMHCP grantees.

Mental Health Court Learning Sites

BJA has designated five mental health courts as "learning sites" to provide a peer support network for local and state officials interested in planning or enhancing a mental health court. The learning sites--which represent a wide variety of program models and geographic locations--host visits from other jurisdictions, answer questions from the field, and work with BJA and the Justice Center to assess and improve their own program operations.

Criminal Justice/Mental Health Information Network

BJA, together with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institute of Corrections and the Office for Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, supports the Justice Center's Criminal Justice/Mental Health Information Network (InfoNet). The InfoNet is an online database that provides a comprehensive inventory of collaborative criminal justice/mental health activities across the country. In addition to inventorying programs, media articles, and research, the InfoNet provides a platform for networking among policymakers and practitioners designing and implementing collaborative responses to people with mental illnesses who are involved with--or at risk of involvement with--the criminal justice system.

Law Enforcement / Mental Health Partnership Program

With support from BJA, the Justice Center--in partnership with the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)--is developing a series of resources for law enforcement practitioners and their community partners to plan and enhance specialized police-based initiatives that make it easier for law enforcement to connect people with mental illness to much-needed services and to improve public safety. Resources include policy briefs, training handbooks, and case studies.

Judges' Criminal Justice / Mental Health Leadership Initiative

BJA, in collaboration with SAMHSA, is working with the Justice Center and the National GAINS Center to help judges assume leadership roles on issues at the intersection of the criminal justice and mental health systems. The Judges' Criminal Justice / Mental Health Leadership Initiative's (JLI) main project is to provide support and technical assistance to a select group of chief justices who form task forces of state leaders to improve outcomes for people with mental illnesses in the criminal justice system. The JLI is jointly coordinated by the Justice Center's Consensus Project and the National GAINS Center and is funded by the JEHT Foundation and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

Other BJA-Supported Justice Center Projects

Past Activities Supported by BJA

The Consensus Project Report

BJA provided initial funding support for the Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consensus Project, an unprecedented national, two-year effort to prepare specific recommendations that local, state, and federal policymakers--and criminal justice and mental health professionals--could use to improve the criminal justice system's response to people with mental illness. The landmark Consensus Project Report, which was written by Justice Center staff and representatives of leading criminal justice and mental health organizations, was released in 2002.

Mental Health Courts Program

BJA administered the Mental Health Courts Grant Program (MHCP), authorized by "America's Law Enforcement and Mental Health Project" (Public Law 106-515), from 2002-2005. The MHCP funded 37 mental health courts across the country and the Justice Center provided technical assistance to these grantees, including site visits and the development of policy briefs. BJA coordinated the MHCP with SAMHSA's Jail Diversion Targeted Capacity Expansion Grant Program. The Justice Center has developed a number of resources for mental health court programs.