On September 29, 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act, S. 2304. The legislation passed the Senate by unanimous consent late last week and will now proceed to the President's desk for signature.

“I am pleased to see S. 2304, the Mentally Ill Offender and Crime Reduction Act of 2008 pass into law, and would like to thank Senator Kennedy and Senator Domenici, and their staffs, for their hard work and dedication to getting this legislation passed,” said Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA). “Unfortunately, far too many people end up in our local jails and prisons as a result of mental illness, despite the fact that they are generally ill-equipped to handle such individuals and provide either the services they need, or for alternative care settings, in a cost effective manner. S. 2304 reauthorizes training and service programs to assist local and state law enforcement officials, and other entities, to provide treatment for people with mental illnesses while incarcerated, or in alternative settings, as appropriate. This bill is similar to H.R. 3992, a bi-partisan bill of which I was the chief sponsor, that passed the House last year.”

S. 2304 reauthorizes the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA) for an additional five years at $50 million per year. The bill also expands training for law enforcement to identify and respond appropriately to individuals with mental illnesses and supports the development of law enforcement receiving centers to assess individuals in custody for mental health and substance abuse treatment needs. MIOTCRA, PL 108-414, created the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) in 2004 to help states and counties design and implement collaborative efforts between criminal justice and mental health systems. For more information about S. 2304, please view the fact sheet.

“I am grateful Congress passed this much-needed legislation, which will make our communities safer by treating the source of much criminal behavior - mental illness and addiction,”said Congressman Jim Ramstad (R-MN).

To date, 75 JMHCP grants have been awarded to communities across the country. The Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consensus Project, a project of the Council of State Governments Justice Center, provides a variety of resources for state and local organizations interested in applying for JMHCP grants. For more information about the program, future grant applications, and profiles of prior recipients, please visit http://consensusproject.org/jmhcp/.

For more information on the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act, contact Leah Kane.

The Council of State Governments Justice Center is a national nonprofit organization that serves policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels from all branches of government. It provides practical, nonpartisan advice and consensus-driven strategies - informed by available evidence - to increase public safety and strengthen communities.