December 2009 Newsletter
Spotlight on JMHCP: Deschutes County, Oregon
Each month the Justice Center spotlights collaborative criminal justice/mental health initiatives that have received funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance's Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP). Center staff asks the practitioners in these programs to discuss some successes and challenges they have encountered in the planning and implementation process. This month's profile is from Deschutes County, Oregon, a 2008 Implementation and Expansion grantee.
Program Summary
The Deschutes County Mental Health Court in central Oregon received an expansion grant to increase access to services for its target population: moderate- to high-risk adults who have pled guilty to a misdemeanor or felony crime, have a diagnosed mental illness or dual diagnosis of mental illness and substance abuse, and demonstrate a willingness to participate in the program as an alternative to incarceration in the county’s jail facility.
The expansion builds on a program in place since 2002 through a partnership among the Deschutes County Mental Health Department, the District Attorney’s Office, the Circuit Court, and the Alternatives to Incarceration Committee in Deschutes County. Under the expansion grant, the program, which serves a mostly rural community, has grown to include twenty-five participants at a given time–double its initial size. The mental health court has also increased awareness and understanding about mental health issues in the criminal justice system through educational programs aimed at attorneys and local law enforcement.
New Approaches to Veterans Involved in the Criminal Justice System
With a growing awareness of the mental health problems facing many recent U.S. Armed Services veterans and some evidence of its impact on their involvement with the criminal justice system, there is increasing interest in the field in diversion programs that particularly address veterans’ concerns. In response to this interest, the Justice Center has compiled the brief summary below of some of the new programs and initiatives targeting veterans with mental health conditions involved with the justice system.
Congress Approves Funding for Key Criminal Justice Programs
Last week, both the House and the Senate passed an omnibus appropriations bill (H.R. 3288) for the remainder of fiscal year 2010 that includes funding for the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Health and Human Services. The bill includes $12 million for the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA) and $114 million to the Department of Justice for prisoner reentry, including $14 million for reentry initiatives in the Federal Bureau of Prisons and $100 million for Second Chance Act programs.
New Publication: Mental Health Court Culture: Leaving Your Hat at the Door
This publication, by the National Center for State Courts, introduces a model approach to communication among members of a mental health court team. The Justice Center participated on the advisory council for this publication, which draws on field research from courts in California, Minnesota, Missouri, and Vermont.