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.
As Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month comes to a close, The Council of State Governments Justice Center…
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Hamilton County, Ohio launches a comprehensive, data-driven review of its juvenile justice system to identify strategies to improve…
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Many community members are seeking to stop the cycle of arrest and incarceration for people with behavioral health…
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In Recognition of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month
As Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month comes to a close, The Council of State Governments Justice Center unequivocally condemns the alarming spike in acts of bias, violence, and hate crimes towards people of Asian descent.
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Hamilton County Launches Effort to Improve Juvenile Justice System
Hamilton County, Ohio launches a comprehensive, data-driven review of its juvenile justice system to identify strategies to improve outcomes for youth involved with the system while enhancing public safety.
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Pennsylvania State Leaders “Step Up” to Take on Locally Driven Policymaking
Many community members are seeking to stop the cycle of arrest and incarceration for people with behavioral health needs. But individuals leading this work at the local level face seemingly intractable structural and fiscal barriers to making widespread, lasting change. State leaders can play a critical role in addressing these barriers, and policymakers in Pennsylvania are at the forefront of rising to this challenge.
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President Biden’s Proposed Budget Advances Key Safety and Justice Priorities
On May 28, 2021, President Biden released his full Fiscal Year 2022 budget, building on his discretionary spending proposal released in April. The full budget continues to expand major funding for criminal justice and public safety initiatives, with several measures explicitly focusedon advancing racial equity.
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Get the Latest Information on How American Rescue Plan Resources Can be Used to Advance Justice Goals
Our updated digital guide outlines need-to-know insights for state and local leaders about this opportunity to invest in criminal justice initiatives and rethink public safety.
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Five Ways We're Celebrating Juneteenth
Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, is a day for celebration as well as reflection on continued racial injustices. In honor of this day, we’re sharing five things our staff are reading, watching, and listening to.
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