CSAC Bulletin Article

Administration of Justice News Briefs

September 28, 2017

NACo Stepping Up Partners Webinar: Mental Illness In Jail

The Stepping Up partners will host the sixth webinar, Tracking Progress on Reducing the Number of People with Mental Illnesses in Jails, in the “Six Questions” series on October 12th from 11:00 am – 12:15 pm. This webinar will discuss how to track progress on the four key measures for reducing the number of people with mental illnesses in jail: the number of people with mental illnesses booked into jail, their length of stay in jail, and connections to treatment and recidivism. A national expert will provide an overview on how to track progress, including how to develop a process for reporting on progress and how to evaluate programming implementation and impact on an ongoing basis. Additionally, a county official will then share his or her team’s process for tracking progress and how it has helped the county’s efforts in the Stepping Up initiative. Lastly, the webinar will be followed up by the Stepping Up Network Call for a deeper dive on the same topic on October 19th at 11:00 am. To register for both events please click here.

CDCR Updates Inmate Locator Search Engine

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s (CDCR) Inmate Locator search engine has been expanded to include the date each inmate is (or was) first eligible for parole consideration by the Board of Parole Hearings (BPH) or the date the inmate is expected to be released, whichever is earlier. Currently, the Inmate Locator allows anyone to search for an inmate by name or CDCR number and provides age, CDCR number, location, and admission date. CDCR’s public Inmate Locator can be found at http://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/.

The inclusion of the date each inmate will be released or considered for parole by BPH is being done in an effort to provide up-to-date information to the public on the impact of Proposition 57 and other initiatives. Many inmates are now eligible for parole consideration or release at different times than when they were originally sentenced. The Inmate Locator will show each inmate’s earliest parole eligible date, with only the month and year displayed. For additional information on Proposition 57 credit earning changes, regulations and implementation information please visit the Proposition 57 web page.

Reducing Recidivism Among Young Adults 

The Council of State Governments Justice Center recently released the document Dos and Don’ts for Reducing Recidivism Among Young Adults in the Justice System. Young adults ages 18 to 24 are frequently considered the most challenging population under criminal justice supervision.

Data shows that this population accounts for a high percentage of arrests and are most likely age group to reoffend. Recent scientific research has demonstrated that young adulthood is a period of development with significant cognitive changes occurring into the mid-20s. Because young adults can be involved in either the juvenile or adult criminal justice systems, a growing number of local jurisdictions are exploring strategies to use resources more efficiently to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for young adults in the criminal justice system.

The document presents options for policymakers and criminal justice system partners to guide policy and practice changes for young adults. A few of the suggested options include:

  • The use of validated screening and assessment tools to guide supervision decisions;
  • Fostering sustained connections to prosocial peers and adults;
  • Collaboration across service systems to minimize barriers to services; and
  • Fund and provide research-based programs and treatment.

A copy of the document can be found here.

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