How Counties Are Keeping People with Mental Illnesses Out of Jails and Improving Public Safety

The Stepping Up initiative works to address the overincarceration of people with mental illnesses and substance use disorders. This overview covers the purpose of the initiative, highlights to date, and what Stepping Up can offer to counties across the country.

Kati Habert | August 2020 | The Council of State Governments Justice Center
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Program Director, Behavioral Health
Kati Habert manages on-site county technical assistance, including county projects, through the Stepping Up Initiative. She previously worked with the National Reentry Resource Center to provide policy reviews and recommendations to state- and local-level grantees focused on reentry, correctional practices,
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family substance addiction treatment, and co-occurring substance addiction and mental illness. Prior to joining the CSG Justice Center, she worked as a senior associate with the National Association of Counties providing criminal justice technical assistance to counties. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a BA and MA in criminology and criminal justice.
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