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January, 2009
Council of State Governments releases mental health court primer
The Council of State Governments Justice Center
released Mental Health Courts: A Primer for Policymakers and
Practitioners. The Primer was unveiled at the Philadelphia policy forum
of the Chief Justices' Criminal Justice/Mental Health Leadership
Initiative, through which state Supreme Court chief justices receive
support as they establish statewide task forces to improve the response
to people with mental illnesses involved in the criminal justice system.
Mental health courts are one of many issues the collaborative task forces
are considering as they develop strategic plans for the coming year.
The Primer provides the field with its first comprehensive introduction
to this increasingly popular specialty court model, which connects
individuals with mental illnesses to treatment services while under court
supervision. The publication supported by the Bureau of Justice
Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of
Justice presents an overview and history of mental health courts. It
describes mental health courts' goals and processes, how they differ from
drug courts, research findings about their effectiveness, and resources
for jurisdictions interested in starting a program.
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OPEN MINDS