Contact: Robert Coombs, rcoombs@csg.org Mobile: 916-743-6069 (m) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Conference Promotes Improved Responses to People With Mental Illness in the Criminal Justice System Washington, D.C., February 28, 2013—More than 300 criminal justice and mental health experts gathered today to share strategies that improve outcomes for justice-involved people with mental illnesses. The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, with the support of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Office of Justice Programs, hosted this fifth national conference, which brings together researchers, practitioners, and public officials annually. This year’s conference was entitled “Reducing Recidivism and Promoting Recovery.” “Leaders in law enforcement, judges, and corrections administrators increasingly cite the growing number of people with mental health needs coming into contact with the justice system as one of the most pressing problems in their communities,” said Michael Thompson, Director of the CSG Justice Center. “At the national level, we need to support efforts by these criminal justice leaders and their counterparts in the mental health system to forge strong partnerships. We also need to promote efforts that focus on getting the right services to the right people at the right time to reduce recidivism.” The conference connects front-line professionals with experts and peers who can provide guidance on maximizing available grant opportunities and ensuring programs have the greatest possible impact. Subjects covered in conference sessions include improving law enforcement encounters with people with mental illnesses; diverting individuals to treatment and services when appropriate; and providing assessments, programming, and services that can improve health outcomes and reduce recidivism. “Recent tragic events have highlighted the critical need for justice and mental health communities to work together and share information to prevent and respond to crime,” said BJA Director Denise O’Donnell. “At the same time, our justice systems lack the budgetary strength and often the expertise to respond as well as it should to people with mental illnesses. It has become clear that the criminal justice and mental health systems must work together to serve communities effectively and this gathering provides a tremendous opportunity for the folks on the front line of this important work.” This conference is made possible through the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP), which is administered by BJA. In 2004, Congress authorized the JMHCP through the landmark Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA) in recognition of the overrepresentation of people with serious mental illnesses and co-occurring substance use disorders in prisons and jails throughout the country. The federal program authorizes funding for states, local governments, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations to more effectively use justice system resources to improve public safety and reduce recidivism. In January, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and U.S. Rep. Richard Nugent (R-Fla.) introduced the bipartisan Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Act (JMHCA) of 2013, which seeks to build upon the successes of MIOTCRA and support law enforcement training, mental health and veterans’ treatment courts, as well as provide resources for corrections systems and other collaborative approaches for an additional five years. Commented Senator Franken: “Today’s conference highlights the fact that our communities and those living with mental illness are all better served when there is collaboration between our justice and mental