Press Release for 01/07/09

New: CSG Justice Center's Mental Health Court Primer

New York - The Council of State Governments Justice Center released today Mental Health Courts: A Primer for Policymakers and Practitioners. The Primer was unveiled at the Philadelphia policy forum of the Chief Justices' Criminal Justice/Mental Health Leadership Initiative, through which state Supreme Court chief justices receive support as they establish statewide task forces to improve the response to people with mental illnesses involved in the criminal justice system. Mental health courts are one of many issues the collaborative task forces are considering as they develop strategic plans for the coming year.

The Primer provides the field with its first comprehensive introduction to this increasingly popular specialty court model, which connects individuals with mental illnesses to treatment services while under court supervision. The publication - supported by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice - presents an overview and history of mental health courts. It describes mental health courts' goals and processes, how they differ from drug courts, research findings about their effectiveness, and resources for jurisdictions interested in starting a program.

The Primer complements a recent Justice Center publication, Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses: The Essential Elements of a Mental Health Court. For the full press release and information on accessing free copies of both publications, click here.

All Press Releases for January 2009