July 15-17, 2009—National Mental Health Court Training Event
Judge Jan R. Jurden attended the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) / The Council of State Governments Justice Center's National Technical Assistance and Training Event, Smart Responses in Tough Times: Achieving Better Outcomes for People with Mental Illnesses Involved in the Criminal Justice System in Washington D.C. on a BJA scholarship. Attendees came from all over the country, representing courts, corrections, community treatment organizations, police, legislatures, and charitable foundations.
Presentations included sessions on Veterans courts, data collection to assess mental health courts cost effectiveness and effectiveness in reducing recidivism, improving public safety, and saving money through reduced jail/prison time, information sharing, collaboration between agencies, i.e., courts, police, corrections, integrating employment strategies into criminal justice programs, pretrial diversion opportunities, prioritizing populations with co-occurring disorders, and addressing homeless populations, among others.
Mental Health Court Team
in Before and After-Court Discussion
In April 2008, the Superior Court instituted our Mental Health Court. Mental Health Court is the first felony mental health court in Delaware.
This collaborative mental health court project is designed to identify persons involved in the criminal justice system as a result of serious mental health issues.
It provides them with intensive services and support to guide them to recovery and self sufficiency as an alternative to repeated incarceration for violations of probation or commission of new offenses.
The Court strives to provide necessary wrap-around services to reduce the number of days in prison and psychiatric hospitals for individuals with mental health issues, thereby reducing recidivism, improving public safety, and achieving cost savings.
Mental Health Court is a voluntary program for criminally involved individuals with serious mental illness. Defendants must have an Axis I Mental Disorder as defined by the DSM IV TR. The program accepts clients who have co-occurring diagnoses of mental health and substance abuse disorders where the mental health disorder is primary.
Not eligible for the program are defendants charged with sex offenses, homicide, domestic violence, weapons offenses, or offenses involving serious bodily injury.
National Criminal
Justice/Mental Health Initiative
The Council
of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center selected
Delaware as one of four states to participate in the
national project. The project's mission is to improve
responses to people with mental illnesses who are involved
in the justice system. Funding and technical assistance
will be provided by two nonprofits, the CSG
Justice Center and the National
GAINS Center. Over the next year, the statewide
task force will examine ways to improve outcomes for
people with mental illnesses engaged with the criminal
justice system.
For Superior Court the Initiative builds upon our existing
pilot Mental Health Court in New Castle County, initiated
in early 2008 and overseen by Judge Jurden.
*The Delaware Supreme Court Task
Force on Mental Health will receive funding and technical
assistance from the CSG Justice Center and National GAINS,
two nonprofit organizations coordinating the initiative.
The task force members will also participate in a CSG
Justice Center-convened policy forum with their counterparts
from the other three states.
Superior Court Mental Health
Court