Improving Responses to People with Mental Illnesses at the Pretrial Stage: Essential Elements
The period between a person's arrest and his or her case being adjudicated presents a significant opportunity to safely minimize future criminal justice involvement and make needed connections to behavioral health care. Nationally, about 17 percent of people entering jails pretrial meet criteria for a serious mental illness. In addition, about three-quarters of people with serious mental illnesses in jails have a co-occurring substance use disorder. These are individuals who, by and large, are eligible to receive publicly funded health care. Many communities have found ways to make effective connections to treatment for some individuals as part of pretrial release or diversion programs, but policymakers and practitioners continue to struggle to identify and implement research-based policies and practices at this stage of the criminal justice system.
This report introduces essential elements for responding to people with mental illnesses at the pretrial stage, including decisions about pretrial release and diversion. These elements encourage data collection not only to help individual communities, but also for future researchers who are dedicated to these important questions. Read the executive summary.
This May, the state of Washington passed legislation supporting the expansion of alternative response teams (sometimes called community…
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The CSG Justice Center Advisory Board establishes the policy and project priorities of the organization. The board features…
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New Mexico launched a pilot program in 2024 to divert people with mental health needs and misdemeanor charges…
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Developing a Common Definition for Community Responder Programs
This May, the state of Washington passed legislation supporting the expansion of alternative response teams (sometimes called community responders) as a public safety service.
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Finding Solutions to Complex Criminal Justice Issues: Q&A with New CSG Justice Center Advisory Board Member Justice Briana Zamora
The CSG Justice Center Advisory Board establishes the policy and project priorities of the organization. The board features a cross-section of leaders who shape criminal justice policy in various parts of the country.
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From Courtroom to Care: 5 Key Strategies Behind New Mexico’s Competency Diversion Pilot
New Mexico launched a pilot program in 2024 to divert people with mental health needs and misdemeanor charges out of the justice system and into care.
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The 10-Year Impact—and Future—of Stepping Up: Facing the Behavioral Health Crisis in Jails and Communities with Real Solutions
As the Stepping Up initiative marks its 10th year, America’s justice and behavioral health systems are facing a shared crisis: how to meet the behavioral health needs of people cycling through jails.
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Breaking Down Barriers: Reentry 2030 States Meet to Tackle Employment-Related Collateral Consequences
On June 26, the CSG Justice Center convened state leaders in workforce development, education, and corrections from 7 Reentry 2030 states for the second session of the Reentry 2030 Workforce Development Peer Learning Cohort.
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How Embedded Data Analysts Are Transforming State Corrections Systems
While corrections agencies across the country collect vast amounts of…
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