Final Report of the Re-Entry Policy Council released, available online
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The Re-Entry Policy Council (RPC) a project initiated by Consensus Project coordinator the Council of State Governments (CSG) has recently released its final Report, a comprehensive set of bipartisan, consensus-based recommendations for policymakers and professionals interested in improving the likelihood that adults released from prison or jail will avoid crime and become productive and healthy members of families and communities. Read More...
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Each year, nearly 650,000 people are released from US prisons, and over 7 million are released from jails; the vast majority will be rearrested within 3 years.
"...[T]hrough the Re-Entry Policy Council, the Council of State Governments continues to build on its commitment to finding a new future for people with mental illness who stand at the intersection of the criminal justice system and mental health systems."
-CHARLES CURIE, Administrator, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services
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News from the Field
Summaries of major news and events occurring in the past month related to people with mental illness in the criminal justice system are posted below.
12/28/04 - TAPA Center to Conduct Net/Tele Conference on Evaluating Jail Diversion Outcomes
The TAPA Center for Jail Diversion, a branch of the National GAINS Center, will conduct an online/telephone conference, "Evaluating Jail Diversion Outcomes: Making the Case for Jail Diversion." The conference will be held
on Tuesday, February 22, from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm EST. Read more...
12/14/04 - Call for Proposals to Present at National CIT Conference to be held in May 2005
The first ever National Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Conference will be held on May 11-12, 2005, in Columbus,
OH. The conference is directed at law enforcement personnel, mental health professionals, family advocates, consumers of mental health services and others who have been involved in the development and implementation
of CIT in communities across the US. Read more...
12/07/04 - Study Calls for Integrated Counseling for Women with Co-Occuring Disorders and Histories of Violence
Findings from the Women, Co-occurring Disorders and Violence Study (WCDVS) were recently released. Conducted over five years and involving over 2,500 participants, the study shows that women with mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders, as well as histories of violence, are more likely to respond to treatment that focuses on all three of their needs. Read more...
12/07/04 - Hennepin Mental Health Court Receives Award from NAMI-MN
Hennepin County Mental Health Court received NAMI-MN's Criminal Justice Award, which "recognizes an individual or group in the area of criminal justice that has demonstrated through its action a strong commitment to the decriminalization of mental illness." Read more...
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Your Profession in the News
Articles from newspapers around the country covering issues at the intersection of mental health and criminal justice are posted below. Articles are sorted by profession: law enforcement; corrections; courts; mental health; and other (articles are posted more than once if their subject applies to multiple professions). To access a complete list of media coverage, visit the media coverage page.
| Law Enforcement |
Group to help repeat offenders. By Dave Forster, In-Forum News (ND), December 21, 2004.
Friends mourn, say police dont understand mentally ill. By Michael Gannon and Andy Bromage, New Haven Register, December 18, 2004.
Advocates in state of shock: Police shooting shakes mental health community. By Andy Bromage, Gregory Hladky, Mary O'Leary, New Haven Register, December 19, 2004.
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| Courts |
How the Justice System Criminalizes Mental Illness. By Brent Staples, New York Times, December 12, 2004.
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| Corrections |
Mentally ill people locked in, and out . By Judy Peet, New Jersey Star-Ledger, December 19, 2004.
Better Care for Mentally Ill Inmates. New York Times, December 19, 2004.
How the Justice System Criminalizes Mental Illness. By Brent Staples, New York Times, December 12, 2004.
Snake pits? No, cell blocks. Star-News (NC), December 7, 2004.
Mentally ill inmates get warehoused at the ACI. By Steven Stycos, Providence Phoenix, December 6, 2004.
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| Mental Health |
W.Va. Faces Mental Health Care Crisis. Associated Press, January 2, 2005.
Group to help repeat offenders.By Dave Forster, In-Forum News (ND), December 21, 2004.
Advocates in state of shock: Police shooting shakes mental health community. By Andy Bromage, Gregory Hladky, Mary O'Leary, New Haven Register, December 19, 2004.
Mental Health Stopgaps. Washington Post, December 5, 2004.
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| Other |
Mental illness pushes families to the limit. By Joe Mozingo, Miami Herald, December 19, 2004.
Suffering Minds. By Joe Mozingo, Miami Herald, December 12, 2004
Mentally ill aid hike asked. By Tere Figueras Negrete, Miami Herald, December 8, 2004.
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Updates from Programs Across the Country
Updates from programs at the national, state, and local level addressing the issue of
people with mental illness in the criminal justice system are posted below. To access a
database of programs or to suggest a program, visit the Program Profile section of the website.
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