The Criminal Justice Reinvestment Act of 2009 builds on the justice reinvestment work done by the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center and will provide grants to state and local governments to design and advance data-driven, consensus-based strategies to reduce corrections spending and increase public safety.

The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center announced today its launch of the National Reentry Resource Center—an unprecedented initiative to advance the safe and successful return of individuals from prisons and jails to their communities. The announcement can be downloaded from the Justice Center website.

The Council of State Governments Justice Center announced today the release of The Law Enforcement Response to People with Mental Illnesses: A Guide to Research-Informed Policy and Practice. The guide examines studies on law enforcement interactions with people with mental illnesses and translates the findings to help policymakers and practitioners develop safe and effective interventions. Supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, it reviews research on the scope and nature of the problem and on a range of law enforcement responses.

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 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.

On September 29, 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act, S. 2304. The legislation passed the Senate by unanimous consent late last week and will now proceed to the President's desk for signature.

On September 26, 2008, the U.S. Senate passed the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act, S. 2304. The bill is expected to be taken up in the House this weekend for final approval and then be sent to the President for his signature.

S. 2304 reauthorizes the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA) for an additional five years at $50 million per year. The bill also expands training for law enforcement to identify and respond appropriately to individuals with mental illnesses and supports the development of law enforcement receiving centers to assess individuals in custody for mental health and substance abuse treatment needs. MIOTCRA, PL 108-414, created the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Grant Program (JMHCP) in 2004 to help states and counties design and implement collaborative efforts between criminal justice and mental health systems.

The 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.

The Council of State Governments Justice Center recently published two guides on the rights of individuals who have been victimized by people with mental illnesses - the first ever national publications on this topic. Both were supported by the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice

Last month, the Justice Center, with support from the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), U.S. Department of Justice, worked with Virginia state officials to convene a group of victim advocates, department of mental health staff, legislative staff, and others to discuss responses to victims of crimes committed by people with mental illnesses. This meeting, the first of its kind that has been convened in Virginia at the state level, followed a meeting that Justice Center and Kansas officials organized in May on this topic.

At the NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Convention, June 13-16, 2008, the Council of State Governments Justice Center provided a first look at the final version of Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses: The Essential Elements of a Specialized Law EnforcementBased Program. The publication is the result of many rounds of rigorous review and describes the 10 important program elements that jurisdictions should consider when planning, implementing or enhancing a specialized law enforcementbased response.
Download The Essential Elements of a Specialized Law Enforcement-Based Program (PDF) for free.

Leaders of the Council of State Governments Justice Center laud Members of the U.S. House of Representatives for passage of the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act (MIOTCRRIA), H.R. 3992, on January 23.

On November 14, Chief Justice Fred Lewis of the Florida Supreme Court hosted an unprecedented forum among state leaders to unveil a plan to improve the state's mental health system and to better coordinate services provided to people with mental illnesses, including those involved with the criminal justice system. The plan unveiled at the event is part of the work undertaken by Florida's Chief Justice-led task force, one of seven such statewide task forces convened by the Council of State Governments Justice Center and the National GAINS/TAPA Center to improve responses to people with mental illnesses involved with the criminal justice system.

On November 13, 2007 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Second Chance Act of 2007, H.R. 1593—a bill that will increase the likelihood that people’s transition from prisons and jails to the community is safe and successful. The bill, introduced by Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) and Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT) received broad bipartisan support, passing the House 347-62.

On November 7, 2007, just a week after the introduction of the bill, members of the full House Judiciary Committee passed H.R. 3992, the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act. The bill will now be sent to the House floor for consideration, which sponsors say could take place later this month. The Senate sponsors intend to move the companion bill, S. 2304, before Congress breaks for recess.

Last week U.S. Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Pete Domenici (R-NM), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Arlen Specter (R-PA), and U.S. Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Randy Forbes (R-VA) introduced the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act.

The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, in partnership with the National GAINS/TAPA Center, has announced a new national project that supports chief justices who have established statewide task forces to improve the response to people with mental illnesses involved in the criminal justice system. The Chief Justices' Criminal Justice / Mental Health Leadership Initiative is the first project of its kind, and it kicked off with a two-day policy forum on Monday, April 30, in Atlanta.

On March 27, 2007, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security held a hearing on improving responses to people with mental illnesses who are involved in the criminal justice system. The work of the Consensus Project, coordinated by the Council of State Governments Justice Center, was an important resource for committee members and advocates in the planning and preparation of the hearing.