• New Guide Helps Policymakers and Practitioners Make Research-Driven Decisions on Responding to People with Mental Illnesses within Community Corrections
• Spotlight on JMHCP: Douglas County, Georgia
• Spotlight on JMHCP: Cobb County, Georgia
• Announcements
• Criminal Justice and Mental Health in the News

New Guide Helps Policymakers and Practitioners Make Research-Driven Decisions on Responding to People with Mental Illnesses within Community Corrections

The Council of State Governments Justice Center announced today the release of Improving Outcomes for People with Mental Illnesses under Community Corrections Supervision: A Guide to Research-Informed Policy and Practice, which was supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice. The Guide reviews the body of recent research on community corrections supervision for people with mental illnesses and translates the findings to help officials develop effective interventions.

The number of people under community corrections supervision is at an all-time high nationwide - a March 2009 report from the Pew Charitable Trusts' Public Safety Performance Project confirms that more than 1 in 45 adults are on probation or parole. Based on other recent prevalence studies, the Guide indicates that an unprecedented number of these individuals have serious mental illnesses. These individuals are more likely than others to have their community sentences revoked, return to jail or prison, and become more deeply involved in the criminal justice system. This first-of-its-kind guide helps program planners and policymakers apply research on promising practices to improve outcomes for people with mental illnesses under community corrections supervision.