|
|
| Hundreds of Criminal Justice Professionals Convene to Examine Challenges of Reducing Recidivism |
| By Council of State Governments Justice Center |
| Published: 12/16/2015 |
|
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Dec. 16, 2015—In the largest event of its kind, more than 1,400 federally funded providers of reentry and mental health services convened Wednesday for a pair of overlapping conferences aimed at sharpening efforts to reduce rearrest and reincarceration rates and improve other mental health outcomes for people in contact with the criminal justice system. Conference attendees represented organizations and corrections agencies from states across the country that have received funding through the Second Chance Act (SCA) and the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP), both supported by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center organized the conference and provides technical assistance to the grantees. SCA and JMHCP grantees were applauded for their successes and charged with ensuring that their programs make every effort to focus on the people most likely to reoffend; adhere to the latest, evidence-based research; and ensure programs are set up to accurately measure results. “The future of this reentry movement depends on all of you to establish achieving measurable reductions in recidivism,” said Mike Lawlor, undersecretary for Criminal Justice Policy and Planning for Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy and chair of the board of the CSG Justice Center. “You have a strong partner in the federal government to help maximize the value of investments in reducing recidivism. We will do whatever we can to help you get results, and we are eager to assist the reentry field learn from your experiences.” Conference speakers included a cross-section of Obama administration cabinet members and advisors, celebrities and political pundits, as well as several members of Congress. Among the speakers were:
“The Justice and Mental Health Collaborative Program conference comes at a time when governors, county commissioners, and mayors, whether Republican or Democrat, are unequivocal in their determination to help people with mental illnesses avoid incarceration and receive the treatment they need,” said Tracy Plouck, director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and a board member of the CSG Justice Center. “But while the political will is there, we also need to ensure the science we’ve developed over the last 10 years fully translates into policy and practice at both the state and local levels.” A live stream of the event is available at www.csgjusticecenter.org. ABOUT THE CSG JUSTICE CENTER The Council of State Governments Justice Center is a national nonprofit organization that serves policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels from all branches of government. It provides practical, nonpartisan advice and evidence-based, consensus-driven strategies to increase public safety and strengthen communities. For more information about the Justice Center, visit www.csgjusticecenter.org. About the Bureau of Justice Assistance BJA's mission is to provide leadership and services in grant administration and criminal justice policy development to support local, state, and tribal justice strategies to achieve safer communities. BJA supports programs and initiatives in the areas of law enforcement, justice information sharing, countering terrorism, managing offenders, combating drug crime and abuse, adjudication, advancing tribal justice, crime prevention, protecting vulnerable populations, and capacity building. |
MARKETPLACE search vendors | advanced search
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
|
Comments:
No comments have been posted for this article.
Login to let us know what you think