An estimated 44% of people in jail and 37% of those in prison have a mental health condition. When I worked at the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health, the Sheriff and Probation Departments were close partners with us. My Research & Evaluation team worked with their data teams to evaluate
Tag: criminal justice
Getting people with mental health conditions the help they need is a top priority for many Californians, according to a recent California Health Care Foundation report. In 2004, Golden State voters approved the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA). Enacted into law in January 2005, MHSA has generated approximately $15 billion
Much has been written about the value that North Carolina’s Criminal Justice Law Enforcement Automated Data Services (CJLEADS) system has brought the state’s court personnel and law enforcement officers. CJLEADS integrates dozens of NC criminal justice and law enforcement data sets, a vast improvement over the state’s legacy processes. Law
All too often an unspeakable tragedy leads to a needed policy or operational change through a newly-realized criminal justice system gap. While we continually work to minimize existing gaps, the reality is that as law enforcement evolves, so does the crime and so do the criminals. In recognition of those
Policing has profoundly changed over the last several decades and its evolution will continue as long as there are crimes to commit and communities to serve. The very nature of policing is dynamic – it always has been and always will be. Those dynamics are driven by many things –
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard about the budget problems running rampant across all levels of government. Federal, State and Local Governments are all facing historic budget shortfalls due to the economic crisis and decreased tax receipts. This has led to a much closer examination of services
I recently returned from the 117th Annual Conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) held in Orlando, Florida. It was a tad surreal to be back with the association members and colleagues with whom I worked so closely for almost eight years when I called IACP my
The shortfall in 2010 state and local government budgets is not news. But it remains the biggest issue facing state and local governments today – and will continue well into tomorrow. Existing gaps are projected to widen further in 2011, throwing departments and agencies already on the edge further into
In 1829, Sir Robert Peel laid the foundation for the modern day professional police force. In shaping the conceptual framework for policing, Peel put forth: “The basic mission for which the police exist is to prevent crime and disorder.” While Peel described a proactive ideal, many police agencies are struggling
I recently met with five people who have been in state and local government for a combined total of over 100 years. It was a group that covered multiple areas of government including Health and Human Services, Courts and Corrections, Finance and Emergency Management. Everyone came to the table with