August 2011 e-newsletter
CSG Justice Center Releases Guide for Transforming Probation Departments to Focus on Recidivism Reduction
The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center recently released a guide for policymakers committed to reducing the likelihood that probationers will reoffend. A Ten-Step Guide to Transforming Probation Departments to Reduce Recidivism provides probation leaders with a roadmap to overhaul the operations of their agencies so they can increase public safety in their communities and improve rates of compliance among people they are supervising.
The first section describes how officials can engage key stakeholders, evaluate agency policies, and develop a strategic plan for implementing reform; the second section provides recommendations for redesigning departmental policies and practices; and the final section includes steps for making the department transformation permanent. The report provides numerous examples of how these steps were used in one probation department in particular (Travis County, Texas). Since transforming its operations between 2005 and 2008, the Travis County probation department has seen felony probation revocations decline by 20 percent and the one-year re-arrest rate for probationers fall by 17 percent (compared with similar probationers before the departmental overhaul).
To learn more and to download the report, click here.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Webinar: Effective Strategies for Working with Justice-Involved Veterans with Behavioral Health Needs
More than 23 million Americans are veterans. Many service members returning from deployment are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, traumatic brain injury, and substance use disorders and may come into contact with justice system. This webinar will examine strategies for identifying, engaging, and treating veterans with behavioral health needs who have come in contact with the criminal justice system.
The webinar will be held on September 1, 2011, 2:00-3:15 pm ET.
Presenters include
- Larke N. Huang, Ph.D., Senior Advisor in the Administrator's Office of Policy Planning and Innovation, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- David Morrissette, Ph.D., Social Science Analyst, SAMHSA and Captain in the U.S. Public Health Service
- Henry J. Steadman, Ph.D., President, Policy Research Associates, Inc.
- Jim Tackett, B.A., Director of Veterans Services, Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
- Nicholas Meyer, B.A., Project Assistant, Policy Research Associates, Inc.
To register, click here.
Webinar and Forum Discussion on Child Trauma and Juvenile Justice
The Consensus Project recently hosted a webinar on the prevalence, impact, and treatment of trauma for youth involved in the juvenile justice system. The recorded webinar is now available online. You are also invited to participate in an online discussion forum on this important topic. There, you can post any of your unanswered questions from the webinar, or share the lessons learned within your own jurisdiction about implementing treatment responses for juvenile justice-involved youth who have experienced trauma. We look forward to hearing from you on the forum!
Police-Mental Health Crisis Intervention Network Forms in New York State
With the establishment of the newly formed Police-Mental Health Crisis Intervention Network (PMHCIN), New York State has joined the list of states with an agency or organization devoted to promoting development and improvement of specialized policing responses to individuals with mental illnesses. The group is currently seeking input and collaboration with all interested stakeholders including those who are affiliated with (or hope to develop) a crisis intervention team (CIT), a law enforcement-mental health co-response program, and/or other police-involved jail diversion approaches.
For more information, contact Don Kamin, Ph.D., Chief, Clinical & Forensic Services at the Monroe County Office of Mental Health, in Rochester via e-mail (dkamin@monroecounty.gov).
CJ/MH IN THE NEWS
Articles from newspapers around the country covering issues at the intersection of mental health and criminal justice can be found on the Consensus Project website. Some recent headlines from the homepage are posted below.