The Crime Report (https://thecrimereport.org/tag/mental-health/page/2/)
A new report from the Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center says that most mass attacks in public spaces are preceded by behavior that worried other people. “There’s no such thing as an impulsive act,” says one expert.
A pilot project launched by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in Texas uses “telepsychiatry” software to give police who encounter mentally troubled individuals an alternative to incarceration.
Pennsylvania corrections chief John Wetzel launched the two-day Washington meeting with an appeal to legislators, corrections administrators, police chiefs and health officials to work together on evidence-based solutions. Another speaker said the White House would back unspecified reforms.
The drive to diversify police forces and the renewed interest in community policing are transforming law enforcement across the country. But a provocative new book by a Brooklyn College sociology professor argues that these efforts don’t address the underlying problems. He explains why in a conversation with TCR.
Often missing in the gun control debate is the perspective of those who worry that a loved one might catalyze the next American tragedy. In the aftermath of Las Vegas, one of our regular columnists provides a poignant example.
Efforts to close facilities like the Rikers Island jail complex in New York won’t work unless authorities find alternative ways to deal with seriously mentally ill individuals who run afoul of the justice system, says New York’s former chief judge.
Confronted with people clearly in need of treatment and social services, law enforcement officers need a way to respond, because they know they’ll see them again. A new approach gaining traction across the country offers “a public health approach to better public safety.”
A landmark decision last month to certify a private Connecticut facility is called a “huge deal” by advocates of better care for the nation’s growing population of aging prisoners.
The 21st Century Cures Act approved yesterday contains provisions aimed at curbing the nation’s opioid epidemic including treatment programs and drug courts. It’s the second piece of legislation impacting criminal justice passed in the final days of this Congress.
A national coalition today asked the new Congress and President-elect to support a “comprehensive” plan for helping justice-involved individuals suffering from mental health and substance abuse issues. The proposal included federal aid for training cops and corrections officers, and continued Medicaid coverage after release from prison.