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                  - Home
                  - Grants                      - Project Grants
                    - Technical Assistance Grants
                    - Curriculum Adaptation & Training Grant
                    - Strategic Initiatives Grants
                    - Education Support Program
                    - Funding Toolkit 
                  - News
                  - Grantee Spotlights
                  - Priority Investment Areas                      - Court Pandemic Response and Recovery Grant Program 
                  - Grant Management
                  - About SJI                      - Board of Directors
                    - Executive Director
                    - Past Members
                    - SJI Budget 

### Supporting the Nation's Judicial System & the Public it Serves

#### 					NEWS				

## National Judicial Task Force Names Co-Chairs and Releases Report on Decriminalization of Mental Illness

On March 30, 2020, the Boards of Directors of the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) and Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) took action to establish a new Task Force to assist state courts in their efforts to more effectively respond to the needs of court-involved individuals with serious mental illness.

The Task Force will build on the previous work of the NCSC National Advisory Committee, supported by SJI.

The Co-chairs of the Task Force are Chief Justice Paul L. Reiber (VT) and Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks (NY).  In addition to Chief Justice Reiber and Judge Marks, the task force’s Executive Committee includes:
                  - Arizona Chief Justice Robert M. Brutinel
                  - Connecticut Chief Justice Richard A. Robinson
                  - Indiana Chief Justice Loretta H. Rush
                  - Oregon State Court Administrator Nancy Cozine
                  - South Carolina State Court Administrator Tonnya K. Kohn
                  - Illinois State Court Administrator Marcia M. Meis

During the first meeting of the Executive Committee, the structure and governance of the Task Force were adopted and additional financial support from SJI was also announced.  The Committee received a transition report, The Future is Now: Decriminalization of Mental Illness from the former National Advisory Committee.  

The report established the process leading to the adoption of an aggressive agenda of the work and activities to be undertaken over the next thirty months, based on the following principles:A community by community approach, supported by statewide leadership from all three branches of government, is required to improve the justice system response to those with mental illness and co-occurring disorders.

Supporting judicial leadership to implement the Sequential Intercept Model to promote early access to treatment for mental illness and co-occurring disorders, and to keep individuals from continuing to penetrate the justice system.

Developing best practices, research, and data to improve justice system responses including competency delays, civil commitment, assisted outpatient treatment practices, deflection and diversion, caseflow management practices involving those with mental illness and co-occurring disorders, and other strategies to improve our responses.

Promoting education and training for judges and court personnel to improve our capacity to lead change in our states and communities, and to understand mental illness and co-occurring disorders and their impact on court proceedings.

Carrying forward the important work started by the CCJ-COSCA National Judicial Opioid Task Force (NJOTF).

Additional information about the work of the Task Force, and resources for courts on behavioral health issues can be found at https://www.ncsc.org/mentalhealth.

#### LATEST NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

                  -  Sixteen State Courts Participate in Groundbreaking Workshop for Racial Justice Education  Read More**   
                  -  New Resource: The Rural Justice Collaborative Digest for June 2024  Read More**   
                  -  SJI Board Awards FY 2024 Third Quarter Grants  Read More**   
                  -  SJI Executive Director, Jonathan Mattiello, Congressional Briefing Panelist on Capitol Hill  Read More**   

#### CONTACT US

          contact@sji.gov
                       Tel: 703.660.4979

#### HEADQUARTERS

                       State Justice Institute
                       12700 Fair Lakes Circle, Suite 340
                       Fairfax, VA 22033         

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