Features

Senate includes $12 million for the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction program
On June 19, the Senate completed the mark-up of its 2009 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) appropriations bill. In the bill, the Senate reserved $12 million for mental health courts and adult and juvenile collaboration program grants authorized by the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA).

In addition, on June 25, the House Appropriations Committee completed the mark-up of the 2009 appropriations bill, reserving $10 million for grant programs under MIOTCRA.

CSG Justice Center Releases Essential Elements of a Specialized Law Enforcement-Based Program
At the NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Convention, June 13-16, 2008, the Council of State Governments Justice Center provided a first look at the final version of Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses: The Essential Elements of a Specialized Law EnforcementBased Program. The publication is the result of many rounds of rigorous review and describes the 10 important program elements that jurisdictions should consider when planning, implementing or enhancing a specialized law enforcementbased response.
Download The Essential Elements of a Specialized Law Enforcement-Based Program (PDF) for free.

Justice Center Invites Chief Justices to Participate in Criminal Justice/Mental Health Initiative
The Council of State Governments Justice Center has issued a request for applications from state supreme court chief justices interested in establishing a statewide task force that will work to improve outcomes for people with mental illnesses involved in the criminal justice system.
Download the project overview and solicitation (pdf).

CSG Justice Center Receives Award to Improve Data Collection in Mental Health Courts
The Council of State Governments Justice Center has received a grant from the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati to develop a data entry system that will enable mental health courts to improve their data collection processes.

Senate Judiciary Committee Passes the Reauthorization of the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act
On March 6, 2008, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee passed S. 2304, the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act. The legislation, introduced last year by Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Pete Domenici (R-NM), Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Arlen Specter (R-PA), will now be sent to the Senate floor for consideration.

BJA Solicits Applications for FY'08 Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program Grants
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), U.S. Department of Justice, has released its solicitation for fiscal year 2008 applications for Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program grants. The program was authorized by the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2004 (MIOTCRA) and promotes coordination among criminal justice, juvenile justice, mental health, and substance abuse agencies.

Legislative Round Up: State Governments Tackle Mental Health and Criminal Justice Issues
In 2007, state legislators across the country continued to address the high numbers of people with mental illnesses who are involved, or at risk of becoming involved, with the criminal justice system, through new legislation and renewed budgets. The Council of State Governments Justice Center has compiled a list of some new state laws that focus on mental illness and treatment within the criminal justice system.

CSG Justice Center Releases New Edition of Essential Elements of a Mental Health Court
On February 1, 2008, the Council of State Governments Justice Center released an updated edition of Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses: The Essential Elements of a Mental Health Court. The publication is the result of many rounds of rigorous review and describes the 10 important program elements that jurisdictions should consider when planning, implementing or enhancing a mental health court.

CSG Justice Center Board Commends U.S. House Members for Passage of the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act
Leaders of the Council of State Governments Justice Center laud Members of the U.S. House of Representatives for passage of the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act (MIOTCRRIA), H.R. 3992, on January 23.

Texas Chief Justice Task Force Continues Work on Mental Health Initiatives
The Texas Chief Justice Task Force, led by the Honorable Sharon Keller, Presiding Judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, has set forth a series of goals for 2008 that will build on successes in the past year and improve outcomes for people with mental illnesses involved with the criminal justice system.

Congress Passes Omnibus Spending Resolution
On December 19, the U.S. Congress passed an Omnibus spending resolution that combines the 11 unfinished appropriations bills, including the Commerce Justice Science (CJS) Appropriations bill, into one catch-all measure.

Florida Chief Justice Hosts Landmark Summit on Mental Health, Other Chief Justice Task Forces Continue to Make Progress
On November 14, Chief Justice Fred Lewis of the Florida Supreme Court hosted an unprecedented forum among state leaders to unveil a plan to improve the state's mental health system and to better coordinate services provided to people with mental illnesses, including those involved with the criminal justice system. The plan unveiled at the event is part of the work undertaken by Florida's Chief Justice-led task force, one of seven such statewide task forces convened by the Council of State Governments Justice Center and the National GAINS/TAPA Center to improve responses to people with mental illnesses involved with the criminal justice system.

U.S. House Passes the Second Chance Act on Prisoner Reentry
On November 13, 2007 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Second Chance Act of 2007, H.R. 1593—a bill that will increase the likelihood that people’s transition from prisons and jails to the community is safe and successful. The bill, introduced by Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) and Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT) received broad bipartisan support, passing the House 347-62.

House Judiciary Committee Oks the Reauthorization of the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act
On November 7, 2007, just a week after the introduction of the bill, members of the full House Judiciary Committee passed H.R. 3992, the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act. The bill will now be sent to the House floor for consideration, which sponsors say could take place later this month. The Senate sponsors intend to move the companion bill, S. 2304, before Congress breaks for recess.

New Report Analyzes Fiscal Impact of Three Pennsylvania Diversion Programs
The Pennsylvania Legislative Budget and Finance Committee voted on October 3 to release a research summary report showing that programs that divert people with mental illnesses from the criminal justice system into community-based treatment can save money, increase public safety, and link people with the treatment they need to succeed in the community.

Florida Policymakers Host Workshop on Reinvestment Grant Program
Criminal justice and mental health leaders in Florida held a workshop this month to help counties prepare for a new statewide grant program. The Criminal Justice, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Reinvestment Grant Program will provide funds to counties to plan, implement, or expand initiatives that increase public safety, avert increased spending on criminal justice, and improve the effectiveness of treatment services for individuals with mental illnesses, substance use disorders, or co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders in contact with the criminal justice system.

Congress Introduces the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act
Last week U.S. Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Pete Domenici (R-NM), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Arlen Specter (R-PA), and U.S. Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Randy Forbes (R-VA) introduced the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act.

BJA Announces 2007 MIOTCRA Grantees
The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs' Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has named its 2007 grantees under its Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP), which was authorized by the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2004 (MIOTCRA).

Dr. Tony Fabelo Joins CSG Justice Center as Director of Research
The Council of State Governments Justice Center is pleased to announce that Tony Fabelo, Ph.D., joined the center's staff on September 4, 2007 as its Director of Research. In his new position, Dr. Fabelo will design, develop and implement a research agenda for the Justice Center. He will also provide technical assistance to state and local governments to help them increase public safety and make more efficient uses of state and local taxpayer dollars.

CSG Justice Center Hires Two New Project Directors
The Council of State Governments Justice Center is pleased to announce it has hired two new project directors, Nancy Fishman and Blake Norton.

State Mental Health Directors Meet to Discuss Criminal Justice and Mental Health Issues
Nearly 30 state mental health directors gathered in Denver, Colorado in July to participate in a special day-long session on criminal justice and mental health issues. The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), together with the Council of State Governments Justice Center, convened the meeting one day before the start of NASMHPD's summer meeting.

Senate Includes $10 million for the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction program
On June 26, the Senate Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) subcommittee completed the mark up of its 2008 appropriations bill. In the bill, the Senate reserved $10 million for mental health courts and adult and juvenile collaboration program grants authorized by the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA).

House Includes $10 Million for the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Program
On June 11, the U.S. House of Representatives Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) subcommittee marked up its 2008 appropriations bill. In the bill, the House reserves $10 million for mental health courts and adult and juvenile collaboration program grants authorized by the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act.

CSG Justice Center hosts policy forum for the Chief Justices' Criminal Justice/Mental Health Leadership Initiative
The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, in partnership with the National GAINS/TAPA Center, has announced a new national project that supports chief justices who have established statewide task forces to improve the response to people with mental illnesses involved in the criminal justice system. The Chief Justices' Criminal Justice / Mental Health Leadership Initiative is the first project of its kind, and it kicked off with a two-day policy forum on Monday, April 30, in Atlanta.

Council of State Governments Justice Center Announces Web-based Profiles for 150 Mental Health Courts and 100 Specialized Police-Based Programs
On April 20, 2007, the Council of State Governments Justice Center announced the availability of detailed, web-based profiles for approximately 150 mental health courts and 100 specialized police-based responses to people with mental illnesses. The last survey of mental health courts, conducted in 2005, counted approximately 125 mental health courts. The inventory of police-based responses to people with mental illness is the first of its kind.

House Judiciary Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Criminal Justice Responses to People with Mental Illnesses
On March 27, 2007, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security held a hearing on improving responses to people with mental illnesses who are involved in the criminal justice system. The work of the Consensus Project, coordinated by the Council of State Governments Justice Center, was an important resource for committee members and advocates in the planning and preparation of the hearing.

Justice Center Holds Congressional Staff Briefing on the Criminal Justice System and People with Mental Illnesses
On March 5, 2007 the Council of State Governments Justice Center held a briefing in Washington, D.C. on improving responses to people with mental illness involved in the criminal justice system. The event was cosponsored by the National Alliance for Mental Illness, the National Sheriffs Association, the National Association of Counties and many other national organizations that work on this issue.

Legislative Round Up: State Governments Tackle Mental Health and Criminal Justice Issues
State governments across the country are engaged in a wide range of legislative and budgetary efforts to improve the response to individuals with mental illnesses in contact with--or are at risk of contact with--the criminal justice system. Council of State Governments Justice Center (Justice Center) staff have identified a sampling of diverse state-level approaches to addressing criminal justice/mental health issues that have been signed into law over the past two years.

Congressional Victim's Rights Caucus Organizes Briefing on Violence Against Women with Mental Illness
The Congressional Victim's Rights Caucus recently hosted its first ever staff briefing on violence against women with mental illness. Speakers at the briefing provided an overview of the unique challenges that practitioners within criminal justice, mental health, and victim service fields in identifying women with mental illness who have been victimized and providing them with appropriate referrals.

RAND Study Finds Mental Health Courts Have the Potential to Save Taxpayers Money
Special courts that sentence people with mental illnesses who are convicted of misdemeanors and low-level felonies to treatment instead of jail have the potential to save taxpayers money, according to a RAND Corporation study conducted for the Council of State Governments Justice Center.

CSG Justice Center and NIC Release New Resource to Promote
Corrections/Mental Health Collaboration
The Council of State Governments Justice Center and National Institute of Corrections (NIC) announced the release of case studies on corrections/mental health initiatives in Kansas and Orange County, Florida. This resource is available for corrections administrators, mental health officials, and others interested in improving the response to people with mental illnesses transitioning from jail or prison to the community.

2007 Calendar of Dates to Visit BJA Mental Health Court Learning Sites Released
The Council of State Governments Justice Center and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Mental Health Court Learning Sites have developed a new calendar of available dates for site visits. One- or two-days visits are available for jurisdictions interested in planning or implementing a mental health court or comparing another court's operations to its own.

National GAINS Center Releases Resources on Evidence-Based Practices
The National GAINS Center has developed comprehensive fact sheets and discussion guides on evidence-based practices and their application among criminal justice populations.

CSG Launches New Chief Justice-led Task Force Initiative
As part of the Judges' Criminal Justice / Mental Health Leadership Initiative (JLI), which CSG coordinates with the National GAINS/TAPA Center, CSG staff will issue a request for applications from state supreme court chief justices who wish to establish (or have already established) a statewide task force regarding people with mental illnesses in the justice system.

Experts Discuss Strategies for Addressing Violence Against Women With Mental Illnesses
Staff of the Council of State Governments (CSG), which coordinates the Consensus Project, recently convened a meeting of victim advocates and leaders in the mental health system to discuss how to improve resources for women with serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, serious depression, or bi-polar disorder, who have been victims of crime. Frequently, these women fail to get the treatment, services, support, and protection they need.

Deadline Approaching for FY'07 Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program Grant Applications
Less than a month remains to fill out applications for fiscal year 2007 Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program grants, authorized by the Mentall y Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act. The grant program, which is overseen by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) of the Department of Justice, offers grants to facilitate coordination among criminal justice, juvenile justice, mental health, and substance abuse agencies.

Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consensus Project Resources to Assist Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program Grant Applicants
This feature provides resources that you may find useful as you develop an application for funding support through the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program, administered through the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice. The deadline for applications is December 12, 2006 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

BJA Requests Applications for FY'07 Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program Grants
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), a division of the U.S. Department of Justice, has announced its solicitation for fiscal year 2007 applications for Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program grants. The program was authorized by the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act of 2004 and promotes coordination among criminal justice, juvenile justice, mental health, and substance abuse agencies. The deadline for applications is December 12, 2006 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

CSG Criminal Justice Leaders Say DOJ Numbers Highlight Need to Improve Response to People with Mental Illnesses
Leaders of The Council of State Governments (CSG) Criminal Justice Program appreciate the Bureau of Justice Statistics' (BJS) continuing efforts to study and draw attention to the large numbers of people with mental illnesses in the criminal justice system. The BJS report, Mental Health Problems of Prison and Jail Inmates, found that more than half of all prison and jail inmates have mental health problems. The issue is of growing concern to state and local government officials.

Help BJA Identify the Essential Elements of Specialized Police-Based Responses to People with Mental Illnesses
The U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) needs your guidance to help improve outcomes of police encounters with people with mental illnesses. Provide your feedback on a draft document describing ten essential elements of any specialized police-based program.

Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consensus Project Resources to Assist BJA Grant Applicants
This feature provides resources that you may find useful as you develop an application for funding support through the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program, administered through the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice. The deadline for applications is June 2 at 8:00 pm.

New Resource Available: Issue Brief on Violence against Women with Mental Illness
The Consensus Project is pleased to announce the release of a new issue brief: "Violence against Women with Mental Illness." The issue brief summarizes the latest research regarding this issue, identifies some programs and resources that serve women with mental illness who are recent victims of crime, and recommends an action agenda for the federal government.

New Resource Available for Advocates Addressing the Growing Numbers of People with Mental Illness in the Criminal Justice System
CSG is pleased to announce the release of The Advocacy Handbook: A Guide for Implementing Recommendations of the Criminal Justice / Mental Health Consensus Project. The Advocacy Handbook, the result of a joint effort among the Consensus Project, NAMI, the National Mental Health Association, the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, and the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, is available by clicking the link above.

NIC Advisory Board Hearing Focuses on Mental Illness and Collaboration
Members of the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) Advisory Board convened on November 15 - 16 in Columbus, Ohio to hear testimony from policymakers, practitioners, and other experts regarding people with mental illness under the supervision of the corrections system. NIC's Advisory Board has designated this issue as one of its two priority areas.

Hurricane Katrina and the Orleans Parish Mental Health Court
Just a few months ago, staff and case managers at the Orleans Parish Mental Health Court (MHC) were collecting outcome data and exploring ways to increase the court's capacity beyond 100 participants. Today, using an office in Baton Rouge as their temporary headquarters, staff are scattered across the region searching for court participants displaced by Hurricane Katrina, wondering when they might return to their Tulane Avenue courthouse and offices.

Spotlight: Statewide Initiatives
Programs that improve outcomes for people involved with the criminal justice and mental health systems typically originate at the local level. But sooner or later, statewide coordination and leadership are needed to sustain and promote these innovative local efforts.