A program for individuals and groups offering comprehensive intervention to prevent violence and self-harm, while reducing the risk of recidivism. For those at any stage of proceedings, but, especially if under community supervision in court-ordered outpatient treatment including ATI settings, Residential programs, Psychiatric facilities, or are enrolled in transitional training programs( i.e re-entry )as well as those mandated to AOT or who are on SORA. Forensic Yoga is a new Trademarked methodology that integrates mindfulness training, cognitive behavioral feedback for self-regulation, deep relaxation, brain-building exercises, and therapeutic discussion in addition to gentle physical stretching, meditation and breath work. The practices are designed to provide support and enhance the ability to cope with perceived intolerable demands and pressures or stressors. Note that some practices must be modulated if contra-indicated for differing diagnoses. Classes and workshops are also available for those who work in criminal justice or corrections settings and want assistance with anger, anxiety, depression, substance abuse or other issues exacerbated by working in legal or therapeutic settings with this population, or who want to have a group activity that brings cohesion and cooperation to employees and management.

Telegram— "Two prominent mental health groups are recommending expanded police training on dealing with the mentally ill and development of new court diversion programs to provide care and treatment for those charged with low-level crimes."

USA Today— "The Justice Department is funding an unusual national training program to help police deal with an increasing number of volatile confrontations involving highly trained and often heavily armed combat veterans."

The Portland Press Herald— "An effort is under way to start a specialty court in Cumberland County for defendants with mental illness and substance abuse problems -- as soon as October."

Channel 2 News— "In the last 10 years of its existence, Washoe County's Mental Health Court has helped more than 1,000 people stay out of prison by giving them treatment for illnesses."

WALB— "Governor Nathan Deal called for an overhaul of Georgia's criminal justice system last week, especially with dealing with recidivism."

Clarion Ledger— "Some mentally ill offenders in Hinds County are now in a pilot court program instead of jail."

San Antonio Current — "The National Alliance for Mental Illness' national report gauging mental health services in all 50 states released in late 2011 shows how far Texas has yet to go, ranking the state dead last when it comes to funding mental health care services."

With 2011 now behind us, the Council of State Governments Justice Center would like to take this opportunity to thank our readers. Your committed and selfless work on the front lines of the criminal justice and mental health systems has helped make communities safer and improve health outcomes for people with mental illnesses in American’s jails, prisons, courts, and on the streets. We’d also like to thank our partners at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), who make the work of the Justice Center’s Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consensus Project possible.

2011 was another busy year for the Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consensus Project, with the launch of several new national initiatives. We commenced a partnership with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office, the city's Department of Correction and Department of Mental Health and Hygiene, and other high-ranking city and state officials to help improve the city’s response to people with mental illnesses in jails and under community supervision. With support from BJA and the Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation, Justice Center researchers are analyzing citywide criminal justice and health data in order to recommend policies that connect people with mental illnesses to treatment, reduce corrections spending, and improve public safety. The initiative expands on an earlier data analysis project coordinated by our Consensus Project in Hillsborough County, NH.

Earlier in the year, BJA and the Justice Center’s Consensus Project announced that six law enforcement agencies — the Houston (TX) Police Department, Los Angeles (CA) Police Department, Madison (WI) Police Department, Portland (ME) Police Department, Salt Lake City (UT) Police Department, and University of Florida Police Department — will serve as national “learning sites” on improving responses to people with mental illnesses. These six agencies join five mental health court learning sites, identified by the Justice Center and BJA in 2006

In summer 2011, our Consensus Project identified four jurisdictions to serve as “pilot sites” for a forthcoming curriculum for practitioners interested in developing mental health courts. Stakeholders from the pilot jurisdictions — Polk County, IA; Jefferson County, WA; and the states of Colorado and Delaware — will use an advance version of the course, which includes online presentations and group activities, and participate in focus groups to help authors finalize it for broad release. Justice Center staff are visiting these pilot sites in early 2012, and will use stakeholders’ feedback to develop the final version of the curriculum, which will be available for free online in spring 2012.

Throughout 2011, Justice Center staff continued to provide technical assistance to Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) grantees. Staff coordinated on-site technical assistance for over 20 grantees across the country. In February, the Justice Center and BJA convened JMHCP grantees (as well as practitioners from jurisdictions that applied for but did not receive JMHCP funding) for a two-day training and technical assistance event in Baltimore, MD. Nearly 400 representatives from state and local governments and community-based programs attended the event; materials, including videos, handouts, and an annotated agenda were posted online shortly afterwards.

The Justice Center also provided training and technical assistance through regular webinars—each of which are now archived online on the Consensus Project website. National experts presented on how to respond to a high-profile tragic incident involving a person with a serious mental illness, the importance of juvenile risk/needs assessment, specialized policing response programs, and the relationship between child trauma and juvenile justice. The Consensus Project team is currently planning its slate of 2012 webinars, each of which will be announced via this list serv in advance of the event.

In May 2011, our staff coordinated a training event for Illinois judges on mental illnesses in the courtroom. The training was a project of the Judges’ Criminal Justice/Mental Health Leadership Initiative (JLI), which is staffed by the Justice Center and guided by experts from the National Center for State Courts, the National Judicial College, and Policy Research Associates. The JLI partnered with the American Psychiatric Foundation and a newly convened Psychiatric Leadership Group for Criminal Justice to develop and administer a new training module, which was piloted for 60 Illinois judges, with coordination support from the Administrative Office of Illinois Courts.

In the course of the year, the Justice Center released numerous publications on a range of issues at the intersection of criminal justice and mental health, including "The Implications of Federal Health Legislation on Justice-Involved Populations.” The resource examines how the health reform legislation expands these adults’ eligibility for Medicaid and what services will now be available to them, the requirements and exemptions specified by the legislation, and how Medicaid enrollment will take place. The Justice Center expanded on this topic with “Facilitating Medicaid Enrollment for People with Serious Mental Illnesses Leaving Jail or Prison: Key Questions for Policymakers Committed to Improving Health and Public Safety.” This brief provides guidance for elected officials and corrections and mental health directors to understand what percentage of the corrections population is eligible for Medicaid and SSI/SSDI, how to identify eligible individuals at intake to the facility, and when to begin the application process for benefits program.

Through its National Reentry Resource Center, the Justice Center developed several resources on mental health issues in the context of reentry. These included a FAQ on the behavioral health needs of people returning from prison and jail and a policy guide on transforming probation departments to focus on recidivism reduction. The Justice Center also initiated a new project through the release of a report on how school discipline relates to academic and juvenile justice outcomes.

The big news from BJA in 2011 was the announcement of FY2011 JMHCP grantees. As in past years, the selection process was highly competitive; BJA received 279 applications, only 40 of which were awarded due to limited funding. BJA also announced that it will fund its 2012 grantees out of the 2011 applicant pool.

Without your commitment on behalf of people with mental illnesses in the justice system, none of this work would have been possible. We thank you for your continued interest in the work of the Justice Center, the Consensus Project, and our partners. Have a safe and happy holiday season, and we’ll see you in 2012!

NPR— "Mental health and law enforcement officials in California are trying to find ways to hold violent psychiatric patients accountable without punishing people for being sick."

The Republic— "Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is ready to hold the first meeting of a task force trying to address mental illness among criminal offenders."

The Vindicator— "Youngstown Municipal Court’s Veterans Treatment Court, one of the first in Ohio, has had enough success in its first year to attract a $35,000 state grant."

From left to right: Lieutenant Kristen Roman, Congressman Dave Reichert (R-WA), Officer Rebecca Skillern, and Officer Ron Bruno

Washington D.C. -- The Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Council of State Governments Justice Center have identified police departments in six cities as national models leading the way in identifying safe and effective responses to people with mental illnesses. In November, representatives from these law enforcement/mental health “learning sites” in the Houston (TX), Salt Lake City (UT), and Madison (WI) police departments visited Capitol Hill to brief key congressional leaders on the progress they have made.

The six law enforcement/mental health learning sites collectively reflect the range of strategies a law enforcement agency might consider when developing a collaborative initiative to address the needs of individuals with mental illnesses in their community. As centers of peer-to-peer learning and support, learning site personnel are committed to providing guidance to agencies in other jurisdictions that are interested in creating or expanding their own specialized policing responses. To learn more about the learning sites program, click here.

Officer Ron Bruno from the Salt Lake City Police Department, Officer Rebecca Skillern from the Houston Police Department, and Lieutenant Kristen Roman from the Madison Police Department discussed with legislators the critical role that law enforcement officers play in responding to people with mental illnesses. As first responders, officers are the first point of contact for people with mental illnesses who come into contact with the criminal justice system.

The six national learning sites are made possible by the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA). Signed into law in 2004 with overwhelming bipartisan support, MIOTCRA created the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP), which supports states and counties that are designing and implementing collaborative efforts between criminal justice and mental health systems. The program was created to address the overrepresentation of serious mental illnesses among jail and prison populations, which can range as high as 14.5 percent for men and 31 percent for women. State and local governments use JMHCP grants to design criminal justice systems better able to respond to people with a mental illness.