The frequency with which people with mental illnesses enter our criminal justice system and their handling within that system are critical issues across the nation and in Delaware.  In an effort to better understand and address these issues, the Delaware Supreme Court is participating in the Chief Justices’ Criminal Justice/Mental Health Leadership Initiative, a national project in its second year.  In 2008, Delaware was one of only four states selected by the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center to participate and as one of the states selected, Delaware will receive funding and technical assistance from the CSG Justice Center and National GAINS Center.

     Chief Justice Myron T. Steele has designated Delaware Supreme Court Justice Henry duPont Ridgely as chair of the project.  Under Justice Ridgely’s leadership, the Task Force has brought together judges, state leaders, legislators and nonprofit organizations to develop ways to improve outcomes for people with mental illnesses engaged with the criminal justice system.  In 2009, the Task Force will develop a strategic plan to address this critical issue.

Charge of the Task Force

     The charge of the Delaware Supreme Court Task Force on Criminal Justice and Mental Health is to develop recommendations to policymakers to improve prevention and system-wide responses to persons with mental illness involved in the entry into the criminal justice system or re-entry into the community through inter-branch communication, collaboration and allocation of resources for the education of the criminal justice community, the identification of juvenile and adult defendants in need of mental health treatment, the enhancement of victim’s rights and the referral, when appropriate, of defendants with mental illness to mental health courts established in each county for judicially supervised community-based treatment.