Administration of Justice update 1/10/2014
CSAC Leadership and Senate President Pro Tem Steinberg Engage on the Issue of Mentally Ill Offenders
CSAC First Vice President and Stanislaus County Supervisor Vito Chiesa along with Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna recently stood with California Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg as he announced 2014 legislation to renew the Mentally Ill Offender Crime Reduction (MIOCR) grant program for California counties. The MIOCR grant program, originally designed to assist local governments in dealing with the significant population of jail inmates whose criminal behavior is linked to an underlying mental illness, was established over a decade ago. However, continuous funding cuts to the program have resulted in many of these once successful programs falling by the wayside.
Senator Steinberg’s proposal aims to reinvest $50 million for new MIOCR grants proposed to be divided equally between adult programs and programs for youthful offenders. Through a competitive bidding process, counties would apply for funding to begin or enhance programs that provide mental health services to individuals who become involved with the criminal justice system.
Several other county representatives participated in the news conference announcing the legislation including the California State Sheriffs’ Association incoming President Sheriff Adam Christianson of Stanislaus County; Lee Seale, Chief Probation Officer of Sacramento County; and Dorian Kittrell, the Executive Director of the Sacramento County Behavioral Health Treatment Center.
To read Senator Steinberg’s Press Release on the legislation, please click here.
Digest of Recently Enacted Criminal Justice Legislation Now Available
Each year, the California District Attorneys Association (CDAA) puts out a legislative digest that reviews and summarizes the past year’s legislation signed by the Governor. The report is focused primarily on the impact of legislation on prosecutors. However, it reaches beyond that into the general criminal justice arena in many cases.
To view the complete CDAA 2013 Legislative Digest, please click here.
Realignment Resources
Registration Deadline Extended for Pretrial Justice Seminar
The deadline for the Joint Training Partnership’s first training opportunity of the year has been extended to January 17, 2014. This seminar is the third in a series of discussions focusing on the latest research, best practices, and effective communication strategies in the area of pretrial justice. The course is designed to explore common systemic problems and initiate a collaborative dialogue among system stakeholders.
Where: Hyatt Regency Sacramento, 1209 L Street Sacramento, CA
95814
When: January 23, 2014: 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Cost: $100 per individual, includes course materials and lunch
A flyer about the seminar is avaialble here.
To register for the training, please follow the link provided here.
For hotel accommodations and booking, please click here. We have secured a special rate for conference attendees.
Roundtable Discussion on the Role of Race and Ethnicity among the Formerly Incarcerated: February 28, 2014
The California Institute for Mental Health (CIMH) invites individuals working with persons who are incarcerated or formerly incarcerated in mental health, substance use, and correctional settings to participate in a one-day training event designed to raise awareness and understanding about the disproportionate impact of incarceration on people of color.
This roundtable brings together national experts on structural and systemic disparities, racial identity theory, and community-defined practices in mental health and addiction treatment that incorporate culture and spiritual recovery. Topics that will be discussed include: the unique set of experiences ethnic minorities bring into treatment, how racism affects persons of color throughout their lives and how this plays out in the therapeutic relationship and within service delivery.
Event Details:
February 28, 2014
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Sacramento, CA, Location TBD
If you are interested in participating in this discussion, please contact May Chan at the California Institute for Mental Health.