Press Release for 09/15/08
Justice Center Selects Four Chief Justices to Participate in National Criminal Justice/Mental Health Initiative
Justice Center Selects Four Chief Justices to Participate in National Criminal Justice/Mental Health InitiativeThe Justice Center has announced that Delaware, Idaho, New Hampshire and Wisconsin will participate in the Chief Justices’ Criminal Justice/Mental Health Leadership Initiative, a national project in its second year designed to assist state supreme court chief justices in developing strategic plans to improve responses to people with mental illnesses involved in the justice system.
Chief justices from 13 states submitted applications for the initiative. Over the next year, the four chief justices selected will convene task forces of state leaders to examine ways to improve outcomes for people with mental illnesses engaged with the criminal justice system. These task forces will receive funding and technical assistance from the CSG Justice Center and the National GAINS Center, which works with the Justice Center to coordinate the initiative. The task forces will also participate in a CSG Justice Centerconvened policy forum with their counterparts from the other three states.
“Each state’s chief justice has demonstrated a commitment to addressing the needs of people with mental illnesses, and we are pleased to be able to invite these states to participate,” said Judge Steven Leifman, Special Advisor on Criminal Justice/Mental Health to the Florida Supreme Court and co-chair of the advisory board that reviewed the submissions. “The application process was very competitive, and we are confident that all four task forces will design and implement successful strategies.”
According to a 2006 report by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, nearly a quarter of both state prisoners and jail inmates who reported they had a mental health problem had served three or more prior incarcerations. The frequency with which people with mental illnesses cycle through the criminal justice system remains a major concern nationally, and states across the country are trying to find ways to prevent the unfavorable outcomes associated with this repeated involvement.
“To address this complex issue, there must be extensive collaboration among a state’s systems. The chief justice is often uniquely positioned to convene key leaders to develop bipartisan, coordinated strategies,” said Presiding Judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and Justice Center board chair Sharon Keller. “I look forward to seeing what these four task forces will accomplish in the coming year.” In 2007, seven chief justices participated in the initiative, which was designed in collaboration with the Conference of Chief Justices, and many of these states have succeeded in sparking significant policy change.
For more information on the Chief Justices’ Criminal Justice/Mental Health Leadership Initiative, click here or contact Lauren Almquist at (646) 383-5743 or lalmquist@csg.org.The support to the state task forces is made possible through grants from the JEHT Foundation and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Funding for the planning phases of this project was provided by the U.S. Justice Department, Bureau of Justice Assistance, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.