Thursday, July 31, 2003

A Survey of County Jails in Tennessee: Four Years Later - A Descriptive Study of Services to People with Mental Illness and Substance Abuse Problems
A report (in Adobe Acrobat format) released earlier this year and currently highlighted at the NAMI web site - "The Survey of County Jails in Tennessee was released earlier this year providing a real picture of the scope of the crisis in our jails due to gaps in mental health treatment in communities across the state."  
  

U.S. Senate Confronts Criminalization of People with Mental Illness
Press release from the Campaign for Mental Health Reform at the NMHA web site - "Our nation is failing an inordinate number of Americans with mental disorders who too often come into contact with the justice system because of a lack of appropriate services in the community, according to testimony by the Campaign for Mental Health Reform to be heard by a Senate committee today. The Campaign will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on S. 1194, legislation introduced by Senator Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) to authorize funding for collaborative grant programs between mental health and justice systems aimed at avoiding incarceration of people with mental disorders. In its testimony, the collaboration of some of the nation’s leading advocates for people with mental illnesses applauds the Committee and the sponsors of the legislation for highlighting the need to address the growing number of people with mental illnesses in the criminal and juvenile justice systems...." See also the web site of the Campaign for Mental Health Reform.