California Justices Taking Closer Look At Criminals With Mental Illness

Mentally ill people coming into the criminal court system has become such a problem in the state that California justices are looking at 137 recommendations on how to handle the influx.

The Judicial Council of California received a comprehensive report Friday from the Task Force for Criminal Justice Collaboration on Mental Health Issues that makes 137 recommendations for improving practices and procedures in cases involving both adult and juvenile offenders with mental illness. 

“This report is being presented at a time when courts and our mental health and criminal justice partners are looking for ways to more effectively respond to individuals with mental illness in the criminal justice system,” said Presiding Justice Brad R. Hill, chair of the task force.  Hill is presiding justice of the Court of Appeal, Fifth Appellate District, in Fresno.  

The task force is one of seven projects launched nationwide with funding and technical assistance support from the national Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consensus Project of the Council of State Governments. 

The Consensus Project is designed to get state and local leaders to address the increasingly high number of mentally ill people in the criminal justice system. The task force is also supported from the Department of Mental Health through the Mental Health Services Act.

The ultimate goal of the task force is to address ways to improve outcomes and reduce recidivism rates for offenders with mental illness, according to a Judicial Council of California news release.

Task force recommendations include:     

• “Promote innovative and effective practices to foster the fair and efficient processing and resolution of cases involving mentally ill persons in the criminal justice system;  
• “Expand education programs for the judicial branch, state bar members, law enforcement, and mental health service providers to address the needs of offenders with mental illness; 
• “Foster excellence through implementation of evidence-based practices for serving persons with mental illness;   
• “Encourage collaboration among criminal justice partners and other stakeholders to facilitate interagency and interbranch efforts that reduce recidivism and promote improved access to treatment for persons with mental illness,” the news release stated.

At the recommendation of the task force, Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye will appoint a committee to create an action plan for implementing the task force’s recommendations.