Webinar: Releasing People from Jail during COVID-19 Pandemic
Hosted by The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation’s Safety and Justice Challenge and the Stepping Up initiative.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, jails are facing many questions about how to successfully release people who may be vulnerable to the virus and are detained for low-level offenses.
This webinar presents a new CSG Justice Center checklist of considerations for release during the pandemic, particularly regarding people who may have behavioral health or other needs. Featuring two jurisdictions that participate in the MacArthur Foundation’s Safety and Justice Challenge and are Stepping Up Innovator Counties, the webinar describes how these counties are working to safely reduce their jail populations while connecting people who frequently cycle in and out of emergency rooms, shelters, crisis services, and the justice system—also known as “high utilizers”—to necessary treatment and services in the community.
Panelists:
- Michael Daniels, Justice Policy Coordinator, Franklin County, Ohio
- Risë Haneberg, Deputy Division Director, Behavioral Health, the CSG Justice Center
- Carrie Hill, National Sheriffs’ Association
- Sam Howarth, Behavioral Health Services Administrator, Bernalillo County Department of Behavioral Health Services
- Mark Stovell, Senior Policy Analyst, Behavioral Health, the CSG Justice Center
Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash
