Mental illness in the CJ system: crises and diversions.

From David's Hope:

David's Hope is an education and advocacy agency designed to provide people living with mental illness, and all those involved in their care, the skills and knowledge needed to navigate the behavioral health and criminal justice systems. David’s Hope teaches people how to advocate for themselves and others by empowering them with information, training, resources, and mentoring. Through education and mentoring we hope to create understanding in the community of the issues facing those living with mental illness involved in the Criminal Justice System.

First Contact: Mental Illness and Public Safety in Arizona

REGISTER HERE

Jan. 6, 2012

8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

ASU Downtown Phoenix

Event sponsored by

Morrison Institute for Public Policy

and Center for Applied Behavioral Health Policy

Arizona State University

One year after an untreated mentally ill person allegedly shot 18 people at a Tucson grocery store, killing 6 and gravely wounding Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and others, we assemble experts to discuss the critical intersection between law enforcement and health care and to ponder what can be done in our communities to reduce the possibilities of future January 8ths. We will explore the proper  balance between public safety and public health systems — focusing on the “first contact” between law enforcement officers (or other citizens) and individuals with mental illness who appear dangerous to themselves or others. We will consider Arizona’s current statutory/policy context and best practices in other states, while considering statutory and/or policy changes Arizona should pursue.

Speakers/panelists/presenters:

• Dr. Joel Dvoskin, Ph.D., forensic psychologist with expertise in in treatment of persons with serious mental illness and/or substance abuse disorders
• Bill Montgomery, Maricopa County Attorney
• Dr. Chris Carson, M.D., CEO of ConnectionsAZ
• Charles Arnold, partner in Frazer, Ryan, Goldberg, & Arnold, L.L.P., and specialist in behavioral-health law
• Officer Nick Margiotta, Phoenix Police Department liaison with the regional behavioral health care system  
• Dr. Michael S. Shafer, Ph.D, professor and director, ASU Center for Applied Behavioral Health Policy
• William Hart, senior policy analyst, Morrison Institute for Public Policy
• Sue Clark-Johnson, executive director, Morrison Institute for Public Policy 

Event location:

Arizona State University Downtown Phoenix Campus

Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

555 N. Central Avenue, Auditorium 128

Phoenix, Arizona

Registration/Information

•  Event admission: No charge, but registration is required.
• Parking: Space reserved for $3 per hour at ASU Visitor Lot on East Fillmore Street between 1st Street and Central Avenue, directly north of the Cronkite School of Journalism building.
  (Inform the attendant that you are attending the forum; disregard “lot full” sign, if it is out.) Questions: Call 602-496-1023

Diverting mentally ill from the CJ system: Communtiy Roundtable FEB 2012

ROUNDTABLE FORUM
First Contact: Mental Illness in the CJ System

Sponsored by David's Hope and the Arizona Mental Health and Criminal Justice Coalition

THURSDAY
FEBRUARY 2, 2012

7:00 - 9:00 PM

Taking place within the historic

A. E. England Building
ASU DOWNTOWN CAMPUS
424 N. Central Ave. Phoenix 85004

Sign in begins 6:30pm.

Forum is free and open to the public.

Please join us in this mediated discussion regarding those with mental illness,
as their lives intersect with law enforcement.

Parking is available in ASU Visitor lots where credit cards may be used. There is also a public lot on the northeast corner of N. Central and E. Fillmore which requires $5 cash and has no time limit

MORE INFORMATION: 602-774-4382
www.davidshopeaz.org

Roundtable Participant List 

February 2, 2012

 
Cecil Ash Arizona State House of Representatives
Barbara Broderick Chief, Maricopa County Adult Probation
Chris Carson CEO, ConnectionsAZ
Tom Chabin Arizona State House of Representatives
Justin Chase Director of Crisis Services, Magellan Health Services of Arizona
Sean Connolly Lieutenant, Phoenix Police Department, South Mountain Precinct
Joy Green Advocate and Board Member, David’s Hope
Laura Irish Director of Mobile Crisis, TERROS Behavioral Health Services
Nick Margiotta Director of Crisis Intervention Training, Phoenix Police Department
Bill Montgomery Maricopa County Attorney
Frank Munnell Chief, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office
Dawn Noggle Mental Health Director, Maricopa County Correctional Health Services
Suzanne Rabideau CEO and President, Crisis Response Network Inc.

Agenda

 
7:00 pm Dr. Michael Shafer, “Five Reflections” Director, ASU CABHP
7:10 pm Roundtable Dialogue
8:00 pm Audience Q&A
8:50 pm Closing remarks, Mary Lou Brncik, Founder, David’s Hope

Special thanks to Emily Jenkins, President and CEO of the AZ Council of Human Service Providers and Kelly Carbello, Executive Director of David’s Hope, for moderating this forum.

Morrison Institute: Mental illness and public safety in Arizona

Register today

First Contact: Mental Illness and Public Safety in Arizona
FRIDAY, Jan. 6, 2012

8:30 a.m

ASU Downtown Phoenix

Event sponsored by

Morrison Institute for Public Policy

and Center for Applied Behavioral Health Policy

Arizona State University

One year after an untreated mentally ill person allegedly shot 18 people at a Tucson grocery store, killing 6 and gravely wounding Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and others, we assemble experts to discuss the critical intersection between law enforcement and health care and to ponder what can be done in our communities to reduce the possibilities of future January 8ths. We will explore the proper balance between public safety and public health systems — focusing on the “first contact” between law enforcement officers (or other citizens) and individuals with mental illness who appear dangerous to themselves or others. We will consider Arizona’s current statutory/policy context and best practices in other states, while considering statutory and/or policy changes Arizona should pursue.

Arizona State University Downtown Phoenix Campus

Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication

555 N. Central Avenue, Auditorium 128

Phoenix, Arizona

Registration/Information

• Event admission: No charge, but registration is required.
• Parking: $5 pay lot on Fillmore Street just east of Central Avenue.

Justice Policy Institute: Baltimore Behind Bars.

from the Justice Policy Institute, thanks to a tip from the Real Cost of Prisons Project blog...

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New Report Examines Factors Driving Overcrowding
of the Baltimore Jail
Research highlights the factors and policies that lead to over-incarceration, makes recommendations on how the justice system can be improved.

WASHINGTON DC - The number of people in Baltimore’s overcrowded jail can be reduced – saving millions of state dollars – by changing policing practices, reforming court processes and improving jail and post-jail services, according to a research report released today by the Justice Policy Institute (JPI).

Baltimore Behind Bars: How to Reduce the Jail Population, Save Money and Improve Public Safety details Baltimore’s complex system of city policing practices and court and bail processes that contribute to a high percentage of city residents being detained in the jail, often unnecessarily. The report also finds that the courts are clogged with too many cases, which further contributes to people being held pre-trial for extended periods of time.

“We chose to focus on the Baltimore jail because jails are ripe for reforms that until recently have focused on prisons,” said Tracy Velázquez, executive director of JPI. “The Baltimore jail holds the distinction of being among the largest and oldest jails in the country, and it incarcerates the highest percentage of the City’s population when compared to other large jails. In many ways jails are like the canary in the coal mine, with bloated populations being symptomatic of larger systemic problems.”

Baltimore Behind Bars details how more than half of people arrested in Baltimore are locked up in the jail to await trial, with more than half of those in jail not being offered bail. In all, nine out of 10 people in the jail are awaiting trial and have not been found guilty of the current offense – far higher than the national average of two-thirds. Most people are being charged with nonviolent offenses such as drug and property offenses and violations of probation. Additionally, African Americans are overrepresented at the jail, comprising about 66 percent of the general population of Baltimore, but 94 percent of the people in the jail.

The State of Maryland, which owns and operates the jail complex, is currently planning two new jail facilities in Baltimore -- one for youth being tried as adults and another for women-- at an estimated cost of $280 million. The report notes that while these facilities will be an improvement over aging facilities, they may needlessly increase the number of people incarcerated in the jail. Increasing the number of jail beds, and improving facilities, may create a disincentive to finding effective alternatives to pretrial detention, leading to more people in jail instead of less.

“The idea that arresting and incarcerating more people means less crime is a myth,” noted Nastassia Walsh, research associate at JPI and author of the report. “The last thing Baltimore needs is more jail beds. It is vital to the well-being of the city that the current jail population be reduced and that effective alternatives be considered.”

The report recommends that by implementing effective solutions to reduce the number of people in the current jail, money could be re-directed toward services like education, employment support and treatment. These services should be available for people before they come into contact with the justice system as well as for those re-entering their communities after being released from the jail.

“The need for change is clear,” added Velázquez. “Communities can’t solve social problems by locking up more of their residents. It’s time for all stakeholders to collaborate on solutions.”

"The decision to build more jails in this city without first taking steps to reduce the current jail population is wrong-headed,” added Monique Dixon, Director of the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Program of the Open Society Institute–Baltimore, a private foundation which supported the research that led to the report. “Creating policies to release people appropriately while they are awaiting their trials would not only save money, but also allow Baltimore residents to continue working and supporting their families while their legal matters are resolved. Other states have taken this approach, and Baltimore should too.”

The Justice Policy Institute recommends the following changes, among many recommendations, to improve the pre-trial detention process and reduce the Baltimore jail population:

• Reform arrest, enforcement, diversion and probation practices: Baltimore police can reduce arrests by giving people citations for minor offenses, and the courts can divert people with mental health and drug treatment needs to public and community-based providers. Changes to the probation system that send fewer people to jail on technical violations would further reduce the number of people in the jail.

• Expand pretrial release and reform bail practices: The booking process can be streamlined, and a system should be in place for the courts to screen low-risk individuals for pre-trial release. The courts should explore methods of releasing people other than money bail and expand use of the Pretrial Release Supervision Program.

• Update court processes: Baltimore’s courts should set up a reminder system, currently used successfully in many cities across the country, which remind people of court dates. They should also reduce the time between arrests and court dates and expand their operating hours. Violation of probation cases can be moved faster, with better data collected between the courts and the police, to reduce the number of people being held for this violation.

• Provide more, and better, re-entry and “no-entry” services: Instead of spending millions of dollars to build more jails, Maryland and Baltimore policy makers should instead focus on saving money by doing what they can to reduce the jail population. The money saved, as well as funding earmarked to build new jails, should be used to fund more front-end services, such as education, employment, treatment and housing, which can help reduce crime and incarceration. Improved re-entry services for those being released can also have a positive impact, including returning of property, timely releases and medications and services.

To read the Executive Summary and the full report of Baltimore Behind Bars CLICK HERE. For additional information, please contact Adam Ratliff at (202) 558-7974 x306 or aratliff@justicepolicy.org. For a more JPI reports on the Baltimore and Maryland criminal justice systems, please visit our website at www.justicepolicy.org.

The Justice Policy Institute (JPI) is a Washington, D.C.-based organization dedicated to reducing society’s use of incarceration and promoting just and effective social policies.

AFSC Suggestions for AZ Prison Reforms

In case anyone plans to write thoughtful letters to policy-makers, here are a few concrete ideas to raise, from the American Friends Service Committee in Tucson. This list has more to do with the community than the prisons, so does not address the issue of abuse and neglect, sexual exploitation, or poor health care services in AZ prisons, but it sees a future with fewer - not more - people in Arizona prisons, and addresses some critical reforms that could help reduce over-crowding and many of its attendant consequences for both prisoners and corrections officers.
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Suggested Reforms for Arizona

1. Declare a moratorium on new prison construction.
Once a prison is built, the state must keep it full. This is particularly true of privately operated prisons, whose contracts explicitly stipulate 90% occupancy. New prison construction reduces our opportunities to have a meaningful discussion on sentencing reform. We need fewer prisons and more treatment and diversion programs.

2. Eliminate so-called truth in sentencing laws or reduce the percentage of time inmates must serve.
During the tough-on-crime '90's, many states passed truth in sentencing laws that eliminated the use of parole. In Arizona, prisoners sentenced under these laws must serve 85% of their sentence, regardless of their efforts toward rehabilitation or their real risk to the public. Many other states are now revisiting these laws and lowering the minimum percentage that prisoners must serve.

3. Amend mandatory minimums for drug and other low-level offenses.
Many drug offenders are sentenced under mandatory minimum sentences, which remove discretion from judges by mandating the terms people must serve. Most drug offenders are non-violent and would be better served in treatment programs, which are cheaper and more effective.

4. Re-think harsh DUI sentences.
While no one would argue against keeping drunken drivers off the road, prison sentences without meaningful treatment do virtually nothing to address the problem of DUI. Instead of spending $21,000 per person per year on incarceration, these offenders would be better served in community-based alcohol treatment to address the issues that led to their alcohol dependency.

5. Establish alternative sentencing programs and expand use of diversion programs that work.
There are hundreds of effective alternative sentencing models in other states. Plus, there are programs already in place in some cities in Arizona, such as Drug and DUI Courts, and programs that are on the books but are underused, such as work release programs. These programs have proven to be successful at reducing recidivism and are far less costly than incarceration.

6. Reduce the number of probation revocations due to technical violations.
About 20% of all admissions to the Department of Corrections are people who committed technical violations of the terms of their probation. These are not people who commit new crimes. These are people who missed an appointment with their probation officer or tested positive on a drug test. Probation departments can develop new programs to hold violators accountable for their actions without having to return them to prison. Another option is "shock incarceration," where violators are returned to prison for a short period (120 days), but then put back on probation in the community.

7. Improve the treatment and educational services provided to prisoners while they are incarcerated.
Our recidivism numbers would be significantly lowered if prisoners were provided with the skills and services they need to become productive citizens. Simple warehousing that ignores the root causes of crime commits us to a never-ending cycle of incarceration and wastes millions of tax dollars every year.

8. Provide well-funded re-entry services to released inmates.
Most prisoners are sent out the prison gates with no more than a check for $50 that they have no means of cashing. Widespread discrimination against people with felony convictions makes it very difficult for former prisoners to find stable housing and decent jobs. People with drug convictions are barred from receiving public assistance or Section 8 housing. As mentioned above, many of them did not have an opportunity to effectively address their addictions, abuse histories, or lack of education while incarcerated. Is it any surprise that so many of them return to prison?

Prisons not the answer to crime problems: Holder

August 3, 2009
BY ABDON M. PALLASCH
Political Reporter- Chicago Sun Times

More prisons are not the answer to America’s crime problems, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder told the nation’s lawyers Monday.

“We will not focus exclusively on incarceration as the most effective means of protecting public safety,” Holder told the American Bar Association delegates meeting here for their annual convention. “Since 2003, spending on incarceration has continued to rise, but crime rates have flattened.”

Holder conceded that the massive build-up of prisons — a seven-fold increase over the past 40 years — probably has something to do with the crime rate dropping 40 percent since 1991.

“Today, one out of every 100 adults in America is incarcerated — the highest incarceration rate in the world,” he said. But the country has reached a point of diminishing returns at which putting even greater percentages of America’s citizens behind bars won’t cut the crime rate.

That’s in part because once people spend time in prison, they’re likely to keep engaging in the kind of behavior that sends them back to prison, he said.

“Most crimes in America are committed by people who have committed crimes before,” Holder said. “About 67 percent of former state prisoners and 40 percent of former federal prisoners are re-arrested within three years of release. If we can reduce the rate of recidivism, we will directly reduce the crime rate.”

Prisoners who undergo drug treatment and/or work training in prison are 16 percent less likely to re-offend after their release, he said.

Diverting non-violent drug offenders away from prison and into treatment programs, as New York State does, saves taxpayers money, better rehabilitates offenders and helps reduce the crime rate, Holder said.

“Every state in the union is trying to trim budgets,” Holder said. “States and localities are laying off teachers, cutting back on public health, and canceling after-school programs for our children. But in almost all cases, spending on prisons continues to rise. This is unsustainable economically.”

Holder provoked applause from the delegates when he complained that across the country, state and local governments are under-funding public defenders, whose growing caseloads make it difficult for them to adequately represent their clients.

Holder did not speak on the delegates overwhelming voice vote to ask Congress to repeal part of the Defense Of Marriage Act that prevents same-sex partners receiving federal benefits even in states that have legalized gay marriage.

This and other news about mass incarceration can be found at www.realcostofprisons.org/blog/