
With more people with mental illnesses in jails than ever before—the majority of whom are not a public safety risk—county leaders across the country have united around a central realization: Jails can no longer be used as de facto psychiatric facilities.
To address this growing concern, in May 2015, The Council of State Governments Justice Center, the National Association of Counties, and the American Psychiatric Association Foundation launched Stepping Up, an initiative designed to rally leaders around the goal of reducing the number of people with mental illnesses in jail. At the local level, Stepping Up works with county elected officials to establish firm commitments, develop plans consistent with best practices, and galvanize local action. To date, more than 250 counties have passed resolutions to #StepUp4MentalHealth and commit to advancing the goals of Stepping Up.
In order to ensure that the initiative’s momentum translates into real impact, teams of policymakers and stakeholders from 50 counties across the country—both urban and rural—gathered in April for a national, first-of-its-kind summit to help them review and refine Stepping Up plans according to the six key questions detailed in the slideshow below.
[metaslider id=62511]
Click here to watch the livestream of the National Stepping Up Summit.
The Connecticut legislature recently passed sweeping legislation to advance juvenile justice reform in the state, including two key…
Read MoreJudge Nan Waller has taken her increased awareness of the challenges that people with mental health needs face…
Read MoreMontana's judicial branch is launching a data analysis of racial disparities in its criminal justice system.
Read More
The Connecticut legislature recently passed sweeping legislation to advance juvenile justice reform…
Read More
Judge Nan Waller has taken her increased awareness of the challenges that…
Read More
Montana's judicial branch is launching a data analysis of racial disparities in…
Read More
On June 23, President Biden unveiled a new strategy to direct significant…
Read More
On July 20, the U.S. Senate passed the VOCA Fix to Sustain…
Read More
On July 20, the U.S. Senate passed the VOCA Fix to Sustain…
Read More