Moving Justice Forward

Evidence-based Standards for San Francisco Collaborative Courts

2012-01-25T11:42:00.000-08:00

The San Francisco Collaborative Courts have published a comprehensive literature review of evidence-based practices for Collaborative Courts, criminal justice interventions and forensic professionals: San Francisco Collaborative Courts Standards

This brief reader-friendly brochure connects the best criminal justice research to the programmatic priorities of Collaborative Courts, including the basics of risks and needs, effective case planning, evidence-based treatment, and sanctions and incentives.

San Francisco intends to use these Standards as a road map to make its Collaborative Courts more effective and more accountable.

Visit our web site to download a copy.

Office of National Drug Control Policy Highlights Moving toward Permanent Housing Program

2012-01-03T07:58:00.000-08:00

The Moving toward Permanent Housing Program (MPHP), a transitional housing program for San Francisco Collaborative Court defendants reentering the community, was highlighted in the July 2011 Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) newsletter (page 5).

The MPHP built on the success of a transitional housing program for San Francisco Drug Court clients, funded by a Bureau of Justice Assistance grant, that improved program retention by over 40 percent, and increased the graduation rate by 60 percent. The MPHP continued this effort, providing clean, stable housing to over 70 Behavioral Health Court, Community Justice Center, Drug Court, Offender Treatment Program, and Probation Alternatives Court participants. MPHP beds helped clients stabilize in their recovery, and obtain benefits and employment opportunities.

MPHP funding ended on December 31, 2011. The San Francisco Collaborative Court continue to seek funding for reentry housing for our high risk, high need homeless clients.

ONDCP is a component of the Executive Office of the President committed to restoring balance to U.S. drug-control efforts by coordinating an unprecedented government-wide public health and public safety approach to reduce drug use and its consequences.

Criminal Justice Expert to lead Open Society Foundations' Giving

2011-12-16T11:54:00.000-08:00

The Open Society Foundations announced that Christopher Stone, a Harvard professor and criminal-justice expert, has been chosen to lead the global network of philanthropies started by hedge-fund billionaire George Soros.

Mr. Stone teaches at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and directs the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations.

His research focuses on countries that are trying to make significant changes to their criminal-justice systems.

SAVE THE DATE: Veterans Fair- March 2, 2012

2011-12-07T09:55:00.000-08:00

The San Francisco Armed Forces Community Covenant will be holding a VETERAN & MILITARY RESOURCE FAIR on March 2, 2012 from 9am- 5pm at the San Francisco War Memorial Veterans Building located at 401 Van Ness Avenue.

Please see flyer for details.

SFCC Fall Newsletter

2011-12-06T14:31:00.000-08:00

Read it here to catch up with our latest developments.

If you would like to receive our newsletter by e-mail please see green box titled Subscribe to Our Newsletter.

San Francisco Superior Court: Moving Toward Permanent Housing Program

2011-11-02T09:32:00.000-07:00

[Funding for the “Moving Toward Permanent Housing Program” will end in December 2011. The Superior Court is seeking additional funding through foundations and federal grants. We welcome information from the field about other funding options.]

San Francisco Superior Court’s numerous collaborative courts address the substance abuse and/or mental health issues of offenders, an approach that has been credited with reducing incarceration rates, increasing self-sufficiency, and promoting greater independence for justice-involved individuals.

In San Francisco, recognition of the growth and effectiveness of collaborative courts has shifted the dialog from stand-alone specialty courts to a coordinated multi-system, citywide effort among attorneys, law enforcement, and community treatment and service agencies to improve outcomes for offenders, victims, and communities.

With San Francisco’s high cost of living and significant shortage of affordable housing, many persons experiencing substance addiction and criminal justice involvement are homeless or marginally housed. While permanent housing is the core of San Francisco’s 2008-2013 Five-Year Strategic Plan for Housing, there are minimal affordable units for this underserved population.

In 2009, with the support of Federal funds, the San Francisco Superior Court developed the Moving Toward Permanent Housing Initiative to expand housing opportunities for multiple collaborative court programs.

Transitional supportive housing is a central program component in collaborative courts, providing treatment stability for clients challenged by substance abuse and homelessness. In an evaluation of an earlier pilot program that focused on a transitional housing program for drug court clients, it was determined that clients who received housing stayed in the treatment program 72 days longer than the comparison group. Without stable housing, many defendants stay in jail longer than necessary, enter more restrictive treatment modalities simply to meet housing needs, enter a city shelter (an unstable option), or are released from jail with nowhere to go.

Lisa Lightman is the Director of San Francisco Collaborative Courts. She can be contacted at llightman@sftc.org.

Huffington Post features interview with Jennifer Johnson about the The Road Forward Fundraiser

2011-10-25T09:59:00.000-07:00

San Francisco Deputy Public Defender Jennifer Johnson was interviewed by the Huffington Post regarding The Road Forward fundraiser being held tomorrow October 26 (Excerpt Below). All are invited to attend this event that is in support of women working to get their lives back. For more details about the event, please see invitation.

Huffington Post
10/20/2011
Author: Arcelia Hurtado

"Jennifer Johnson has been working with San Francisco's mental health court to provide gender specific services for women since 2005. She is a founding member of San Francisco's Behavioral Health Court and one of the organizers of The Road Forward, a fundraiser to benefit women as they transition out of custody and into the community.

Arcelia Hurtado (AH): Tell us what is going on in California with incarcerated women.

Jennifer Johnson (JJ): In times of economic prosperity, women in jails and prisons are an underserved population. In times of economic despair, they are forgotten. California is currently embarking on the biggest shift in criminal justice policy in decades as it enacts AB109, known as "realignment." The stakes are high and the opportunity is unprecedented as communities craft new approaches to incarceration and rehabilitation.

AH: What is The Road Forward?

JJ: The Road Forward is raising money to renovate the San Francisco Sheriff's Department's Women's Resource Center to create an optimal environment for helping women reclaim their lives.

Two community programs, Behavioral Health Court and the Women's Resource Center, are working together to ensure that women are not lost as the realignment process unfolds. Both programs have independently provided quality gender-specific treatment for years and they are joining forces streamline and enhance those services.

The October 26th event marks the beginning of a capital fundraising campaign and we have great allies in this effort: Equal Rights Advocates, California Pacific Medical Center, and Women Defenders of California.

AH: What do you mean when you say "helping women reclaim their lives?"

JJ: The Women's Resource Center serves women who are leaving jail and prison. The Center provides access to an array of coordinated services to help women find employment, sustain recovery, improve mental health, link to quality health care, and reconnect with their families and the community.

These services are going to become increasingly important as we see dramatic changes in criminal justice policy take effect across California.

AH: What are the changes?

JJ: There are two big changes that will result in an increase in the number of women who come into the community from either jail or prison.

First, the United States Supreme Court is forcing the state to release tens of thousands of inmates because the overcrowded conditions amount to cruel and unusual punishment. One of the state's proposals to address the situation is to allow more than 4,000 mothers serving time in state prison to return to the community.

Second, a recent change in California law will increase the number of women released from jail. AB109, or "realignment," will shift the responsibility for housing and supervising low-risk, non-violent offenders from the state to individual counties. What this means is that women who would have gone to state prison will now serve local sentences and remain on county probation."

Read the entire post here.

You're Invited to The Road Forward: Fundraiser Benefiting Women in the Criminal Justice System

2011-10-12T14:45:00.000-07:00

Women Defenders, California Pacific Medical Center, and Equal Rights Advocates invite you to a fundraiser and silent auction benefiting The Women's Resource Center and Behavioral Health Court.

Celebrate The Road Forward for women affected by the criminal justice system as they move from a past defined by personal despair to a future bright with hope, healing, and acceptance.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
The Women's Resource Center
930 Bryant Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

Tickets: $55

To purchase a ticket or make a tax-deductible donation, go to: http://www.sfghf.net/donate.html. Please make sure to write BHC/WRC Fundraiser under "Gift Designation." Proceeds will benefit The Women's Resource Center and Behavioral Health Court.

For your convenience, all purchased tickets will be available at will-call at the event. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the event.

Featuring live music! Hors d'oeuvres and non-alcoholic beverages will be served.

About Women's Resource Center
The San Francisco Sheriff's Department Women's Resource Center provides gender-specific transitional services to help women overcome traumatic experiences that can lead to unemployment, substance abuse, poverty, homelessness, and crime. Recognizing that crime hurts everyone, the WRC weaves principles of restorative justice into all of the services it offers. The funds from this event are dedicated to renovating the building to create an environment that will help women reclaim their lives.

About Behavioral Health Court
The San Francisco Behavioral Health Court is a collaborative court that redirects individuals with serious mental illness from the criminal justice system to community-based mental health services. The program focuses on the unique needs of women, providing evidence-based treatment that addresses mental illness, trauma, and addiction. The funds from this event are dedicated to BHC's Supported Employment Program to provide job training, counseling and stipends for women with mental illness seeking competitive jobs in the community.

Community Justice Center represented at day-long roundtable in NYC

2011-08-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, Judge Ron Albers and CJC Coordinator Tomiquia Moss attended a round table session on community justice hosted by the Center for Court Innovation and the U.S. Department of Justice. Community justice leaders from across the country attended and shared their stories of successes and challenges working in the area of community courts. Read more about the round table session.

Salvation Army quarterly newsletter includes article on Dependency Drug Court

2011-08-24T14:36:00.000-07:00

This past month, Dependency Drug Court was featured in the in The Signal, a quarterly publication of the Salvation Army. The article features DDC client Alexander who has being living at and participating in services at Harbor House. [Excerpt below]

“In late August of 2010 Harbor House had a phone call for an intake. This was for a single parent father. This father had lost his daughter due to the hold his addictions had on him. She was only five and this was the fourth time she was taken from her dad.

Her mother had never been in the picture. At Harbor House one of the things we do is work with single parents to reunify with their children; one of these ways is through our brand new Dependency Drug Court (DDC) contract. Both Child Protective Services (CPS) and DDC felt there was an extremely slim chance of the father regaining custody. He had lost her several times in such a short life, he was an addict, he was homeless, had no job, and she was actually about to be adopted. Since staff at Harbor House loves challenges, naturally we accepted him.” Read more…

Best Practices Training with Douglas Marlowe a Huge Success

2011-08-08T14:25:00.000-07:00

Douglas B. Marlowe, J.D., Ph.D., of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, conducted a four hour training to a packed audience of collaborative court staff and partners on July 29. The audience, which included treatment providers, judicial officers, probation officers and attorneys, was enthralled by Dr. Marlowe's exciting presentation regarding best practices in Drug Courts, and the effective use of sanctions and incentives to change offender behavior.

Dr. Marlowe reviewed research demonstrating that Drug Courts are more cost-effective under the following circumstances:

-Treatment providers, defense attorneys, prosecutors, and police officers all attend case conferencing.
-Non-drug offenses, such as theft, are eligible.
-Offenders with prior violence are eligible.
-Participants are placed in Drug Court within 20 days of arrest.
-Participants are required to attend court at least every 2 weeks during the first phase.
-Judges stay in Drug Court assignments for more than 2 years.

In implementing sanctions and incentives, collaborative courts should emphasize:
-Reliable detection and swift and certain responses.
-Moderate responses, which are more effective than minimal or severe responses.
-Fairness and procedural justice.

Dr. Marlowe is a Drug Court expert and nationally renowned researcher. The training was sponsored by the National Drug Court Institute.

Juvenile Collaborative Reentry Team Video

2011-08-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

San Francisco DA George Gascón forges ahead with neighborhood courts

2011-05-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

The new courts will focus on low-level misdemeanants- offering them community service programs in lieu of probation or jail time. The goals of these new courts is to create much needed criminal justice savings, provide better outcomes for the defendants, and to reduce the number of repeat offenders. The San Francisco Chronicle included a piece on the neighborhood courts in today's paper.

D.A. Gascón sets neighborhood courts in motion
Jaxon Van Derbeken, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Upcoming Collaborative Court Graduations

2011-05-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

Please join us in celebrating the successes of our collaborative court clients.

Behavioral Health Court Graduation Ceremony

Thursday, June 2 at 2:30 p.m.
Hall of Justice- 850 Bryant Street, Dept 15

Drug Court Graduation Ceremony

Monday, June 27 at 2:00 p.m.

Civic Center Courthouse- 400 McAllister Street, Room 509

Prop 36/OTP Graduation Ceremony

Thursday, June 30 at 10:00 a.m.

Civic Center Courthouse- 400 McAllister Street, Room 509

SFCC Spring Newsletter

2011-04-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

Read it here to catch up with our latest developments.

If you would like to recieve our newsletter by e-mail please see green box titled Subscribe to Our Newsletter.

Trauma-Informed Care Training for the Collaborative Courts

2011-04-20T15:47:00.000-07:00

The San Francisco Collaborative Courts pursue evidence-based practices and training for all city and criminal justice system partners, so that we can better serve our clients and the community – trauma informed care is a key component of this effort. The Collaborative Courts have been selected to receive a free training, offered by the SAMHSA National GAINS Center: How Being Trauma-Informed Improves Criminal Justice System Responses to Women & Men with Mental Illness.

“There is growing recognition that trauma can play a significant role in criminal justice involvement. Although prevalence estimates vary, there is consensus that high percentages of justice-involved women and men have experienced serious trauma throughout their lifetime. The reverberating effects of traumatic experiences can challenge a person’s capacity for recovery and pose significant barriers to accessing services, often resulting in an increased risk of coming into contact with the criminal justice system.” - The SAMHSA National GAINS Center, operated by Policy Research Associates, Inc. (PRA)

Thirty five participants representing the Police, Probation, Superior Court, the Sheriff's Department, Pretrial Diversion, and other treatment agencies will take part in the training.

NADCP releases statement regarding This American Life's "Very Tough Love"

2011-04-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

The Board of Directors at the National Association for Drug Court Professionals released a statement today regarding the March 25 NPR segment of This American Life titled “Very Tough Love”. The story chronicles disturbing events to have occurred in a Drug Court in Georgia. Read the statement here.

Homeless Prenatal Program in People Magazine

2011-04-07T15:10:00.000-07:00

Homeless Prenatal Program, the lead case management provider for San Francisco’s Dependency Drug Court was featured in People magazine this week. The article showcases Founder & Executive Director Martha Ryan in their "Heroes Among Us" section.

Drug Court Graduation Ceremony

2011-04-05T14:46:00.001-07:00

Please join us in celebrating the successes of San Francisco's Drug Court graduates.

Monday, April 11, 2011

2:00 p.m.

Civic Center Court House

400 McAllister Street, Room 509

We look forward to seeing you there!

New short film on Community Courts

2011-03-21T09:05:00.000-07:00

The Center for Court Innovation just released this fantastic film on community justice across the county. This film was produced in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Testing New Ideas: Evidence, Innovation and Community Courts

SF Chronicle feature story on Community Justice Center

2011-03-18T08:30:00.000-07:00

It is often heard in the courtroom and in the elevator up to the Service Center that the CJC is a place that really cares and is helping participants get their lives back on track. Two years in, the CJC is proving itself as an exceptional social and criminal justice program. Here’s an excerpt from an excellent article that ran in yesterday’s SF Chronicle:

[EXCERPT]
“Roughly a year ago, Lacrecia Hicks was locked up for walking out of Safeway with a friend who hadn't paid for an armful of food and hygiene products.
Normally she'd go to criminal court, and if she was found guilty of theft, do time or pay a fine. But she didn't.
Instead, she decided to go to San Francisco's once-controversial Community Justice Center, where for the past two years she and hundreds of others have been allowed to avoid jail if they agree to seek treatment for addiction, mental instability or other issues that may have led them to break the law in the first place.
Two years after a bitter fight over its creation, more than 3,200 people have come before the court, which is now lauded by its early critics. Unlike jail, supporters say, the program gives San Francisco's underserved residents the support they need to clean up and avoid trouble.
"Those are things we can do faster than most and do more effectively than most," said Commissioner Everett Hewlett Jr., who has overseen the court since January. ”

Read the FULL ARTICLE.

HBO's Addiction Project

2011-03-17T16:04:00.000-07:00

In partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), HBO has created a multi-media campaign aimed to spread the word and educate the public about addiction. The Addiction Project includes a 14-part documentary series, a comprehensive website, 4 independent films, and a grassroots community outreach movement.

Drug Courts featured in The Economist

2011-03-09T10:38:00.000-08:00

More and more, Drug Courts are being nationally recognized as the best way to reduce recidivism and continue to receive great support from the political spectrum. In an article in the Feb 24 edition of The Economist, this is further examined in the state of Georgia at the Hall County Drug Court.

Stay out of jail clean
The best way to keep drug offenders from returning to prison

You are cordially invited to the Community Justice Center's 2-year anniversary

2011-03-02T15:00:00.000-08:00

The Community Justice Center is holding a 2-year anniversary open houst celebration from 4-6 p.m. at 555 Polk Street on March 10, 2011. Presiding Judge Feinstein will be giving opening remarks during a speaking program that begins at 4:30 p.m.

Please join us to celebrate the success' of the CJC!

Light refreshments will be provided.

Webinar on Motivational Interviewing

2011-02-24T09:07:00.000-08:00

An excellent webinar was conducted on Motivational Interviewing presented by the Center for Integrated Health Solutions, SAMHSA-HRSA.

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a directive method of communicating that explores a client’s own argument for change, seeking to identify, reinforce, and consolidate their motivation to change behavior that lands them in the criminal justice system. Research has shown that the effect of change talk- self-motivated statements about behavioral change- provides an increased probability that the client will in fact change their behavior.

Increasingly in San Francisco, the use of MI is being introduced into community behavioral health settings as well as the criminal justice system.

You may view the recorded webinar at any time and will need Windows Media Player 9 or higher to view the presentation.

Judge Mary C. Morgan is a Hero

2011-02-10T17:02:00.000-08:00

Today at the 6th annual Heroes & Hearts fundraiser luncheon for San Francisco General Hospital Foundation, Judge Morgan was one of four recipients of the Heroes Award for her exceptional service in Behavioral Health Court and mental health policy in San Francisco and statewide.

We are so proud of you Judge Morgan!

Outcome Study of SF Behavioral Health Court

2011-01-31T11:16:00.000-08:00

The following study completed by University of California, San Francisco further reiterates that the San Francisco Behavioral Health Court is achieving its mission of decreasing the involvement of mentally ill offenders in the criminal justice system and is also increasing participation in community treatment.

Prospective Study of the San Francisco Behavioral Health Court
Criminal Justice and Clinical Outcomes at One Year Follow Up

Authored by Dale E. McNiel, Kevin L. Delucchi, and Renee L. Binder

January 2011

Associate Press features San Francisco Collaborative Courts

2011-01-21T14:34:00.000-08:00

San Francisco’s Behavioral Health Court, Community Justice Center and Drug Court were featured in The Associated Press December 26, 2010. It was part of a series by AP examining the U.S. struggles in its “war on drugs.” The article’s focus was on Portugal’s drug policy and how they changed the law so that users are sent to counseling and treatment instead of criminal courts and prison. It’s important to note that drugs are still illegal in Portugal. The switch from seeing drugs as a criminal issue and instead viewing it as both a public health and a public safety concern is what is proving their policies to be successful. As the article continues, it references San Francisco’s Collaborative Courts as an approach similar to Portugal’s that is working to achieve the same goals in the U.S. – to increase public safety and place addicts in treatment instead of behind bars. We encourage you to read the full article.

Portugal's drug policy pays off; US eyes lessons
By Barry Hatton and Martha Mendoza, Associated Press
December 26, 2010

AP also ran a video story that highlights our programs – Check it out!

Judge Mary C. Morgan recieves Heros & Hearts Award

2011-01-12T12:48:00.000-08:00

We are please to announce that San Francisco Superior Court Judge Mary C. Morgan is one of four recipients of the 2011 Heroes & Hearts Awards, a program of San Francisco's General Hospital Foundation. The award recognizes individuals who inspire others through exceptional community service.

Judge Morgan is being recognized for her contributions to Behavioral Health Court (BHC). She spearheaded several initiatives that dramatically changed the public dialogue about people with mental illness. She guided the BHC team to embrace evidence based practices; inspired San Francisco community leaders to change policy issues related to the treatment of people with mental illness; and influenced statewide practices to improve California’s mental health system. Most of all, she changed the lives of so many.

NADCP on Facebook

2010-12-23T09:03:00.001-08:00

The National Association for Drug Court Professionals has recently launched it's own Facebook page in an effort to spread the word about Drug Courts and their remarkable successes.

Check it out- All Rise: Drug Court is in Session

Thank you for supporting our programs!

2010-12-22T13:23:00.000-08:00

San Francisco Collaborative Courts would thank the following organizations for their generous donations to our incentives program in 2010.

Costco
Oakland Raiders
Quiznos Subs
Rainbow Grocery
Ross Dress for Less
Trader Joes
Walgreen Company
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

SF Collaborative Courts written up in American Prospect magazine

2010-12-21T14:40:00.000-08:00

On December 6th, American Prospect magazine included a great article about San Francisco's Community Justice Center and Behavioral Health Court called: May It Please the Court: Problem-solving courts have a track record of lowering recidivism and incarceration costs, but they still don't reach enough offenders. Sasha Abramsky was the author of the article.

SFCC Fall Newsletter

2010-11-24T09:32:00.000-08:00

Read it here to catch up with our latest developments.

If you would like to recieve our newsletter by e-mail please see green box titled Subscribe to Our Newsletter.

TIME article on marijuana addiction & Prop 19

2010-11-01T13:56:00.000-07:00

With Californians heading to the polls tomorrow to vote on Proposition 19, also known as the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010, an compelling article was posted on TIME.com titled Is Marijuana Addictive? It Depends How You Define Addiction.

The article talks about the difference between the physical and psychological effects of addiction. In the posting, Stanton Peele, author of the book Love and Addiction, says “How harmful is this addiction compared to other addictions? It can be disruptive to people's lives; I have a treatment center, and some people end up there because of marijuana. On the other hand, in terms of physical assaults to your body, it's better than smoking and better than alcohol."

How will it play out for the state of California? We will all have to wait and see what happens on November 2nd.

Read the full article

SF Behavioral Health Court in LA Times

2010-10-28T09:01:00.000-07:00

This past Monday, SF Behavioral Health Court was the focus of an article written by Lee Romney of the Los Angeles Times, titled "Mentally Ill Prisoners Get a Second Chance." The article shares the story of BHC participant Milton Conley who talks about his experience with mental illness, "It's been a terrible life, but it's getting better, as long as I stay off drugs and alcohol and take my medication." He is one of 125 current participants who are taking advantage of this court program and are working hard to get their lives back. San Francisco is one of 29 counties in California who have embraced the mental health court movement.

SFCC Welcomes Allyson West

2010-10-12T09:06:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to introduce Allyson West, our newest team member who will serve as the Parole Reentry Court Coordinator for the new Reentry Court starting today at the Superior Court of San Francisco. Allyson will oversee all programmatic responsibilities for this Collaborative Court.

Background: Allyson is the Founder and current Executive Director of the California Reentry Program at San Quentin. She oversees case management pre-release and is responsible for recruiting volunteers, raising funds, managing the program and working with prison administration and staff. Allyson also served on a state-wide task force recommending improvements to reentry services at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, as well as the Advisory Board on Rentry to the CDCR Education Department.

Her experience and knowledge in the area of reentry is remarkable and will benefit our programs immensely. We are so thrilled to have her as a part of our team!

A solution to the sell of prescription drugs in the Tenderloin

2010-09-22T13:58:00.000-07:00

Last week an article (see link below) in the Bay Area edition of the New York Times mentioned new strategies aimed at dealing with the sell of prescription drugs in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood. City agencies would like to begin to route folks through Drug Court and the Community Justice Center which will be able to address the underlying problems of why individuals are selling - most of whom are the sick and elderly.

In Tough Times, Grandpa Pushes Pills:

Police see more gray-haired drug dealers selling prescription meds, like Oxycontin

Written by Shoshana Walter

New Mental Health Courts Around the Country

2010-09-09T10:20:00.000-07:00

The efficacy of Mental Health Courts is evident and it is exciting to see that various counties across the country are joining in this movement. Here are a few related articles.

Sheriff's program to ID mentally ill inmates
By Gary Pinnell
Highlands Today
September 9, 2010

New Alameda County court aims to help mentally ill
By Chris Metinko
Oakland Tribune
September 7, 2010

Shelby County starts mental health court
By Malcomb Daniels
The Birmingham News
September 7, 2010

Mental Health Court keeping people out of jail, saving money
WQOW TV- News Channel 18 (Eau Claire, WI)
August 18, 2010

Upcoming Collaborative Court Graduations

2010-09-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

Please join us in celebrating the successes of our collaborative court clients.

Drug Court Graduation Ceremony
Monday, October 4th at 2:00 p.m.
Civic Center Courthouse- 400 McAllister Street, Room 509

Prop 36/OTP Graduation Ceremony
Thursday, September 23rd at 10:00 a.m.
Hall of Justice- 850 Bryant Street, Dept 18

Behavioral Health Court Graduation Ceremony
Thursday, November 18th at 2:00 p.m.

Hall of Justice- 850 Bryant Street, Dept 15

San Francisco Drug Court 2009 Annual Report

2010-09-09T09:29:00.001-07:00

San Francisco Collaborative Courts has completed the 2009 Drug Court Annual Report.

This report provides detailed information on participant volume, retention and graduation rates, and recidivism.

Trial and Error in Criminal Justice Reform

2010-09-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

Because there are so many components to pioneering criminal justice reform, it is difficult to label any one program a success or failure. Instead we must take a closer look in order to learn from those who have come before us.

A new book titled Trial and Error in Criminal Justice Reform, written by Greg Berman, Director of the Center for Court Innovation (CCI) and Aubrey Fox, Director of Special Projects at CCI, examines this concept in depth.

In the book, Berman and Fox highlight the following key principles:

Importance of Self-Reflection- Criminal justice officials must conduct ongoing analysis and evaluation to see what is and is not working, and make adjustments as needed.
There are a Myriad of Goals in Criminal Justice Reform- While reducing crime is central to all programs, there are a wide range of objectives that programs also aim to achieve. A few examples: solving underlying problems of defendants, improving public trust and confidence in justice, reducing case processing time, and increasing restorative justice.
Understanding the Local Context- There is no cookie cutter approach. Ideas and programs must take into account the players and the issues facing the community, and customize programs accordingly.
Including All Levels of Administration- It is crucial to get buy-in from all levels of government. Success can not be achieved if those on the ground implementing these programs do not believe in them and have the ability to alter aspects of the program to suit their needs.
Realistic Expectations are Essential- Individuals involved in the criminal justice system face a multitude of problems and helping them get on the right track and ultimately stop committing crimes is a large task. It is important that reformers have real expectations about what they will be able to achieve.

Pick up a copy of this book at Urban Institute Press.

SFCC Summer Newsletter

2010-08-05T11:21:00.000-07:00

Read it here to catch up with our latest developments.

If you would like to subscribe please submit your email in the green box titled Subscribe to Our Newsletter.

San Francisco Collaborative Courts is Hiring!

2010-08-05T11:11:00.000-07:00

San Francisco Collaborative Courts invite qualified applicants interested in a half-time position with the Court to perform a variety of administrative and oversight work related to the Parolee Reentry Court Program. The applicant is responsible for supporting the Reentry Court Judge and for facilitating the coordinated efforts needed to maintain the programmatic functioning of the Parolee Reentry Court. This is a two year grant funded position only.

To view the announcement, please visit http://www.sfsuperiorcourt.org/index.aspx?page=85

Community Justice Center Advisory Board Meeting Open to the Public

2010-08-05T09:47:00.000-07:00

Please join us for our next CJC Advisory Board meeting on

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

at 555 Polk Street

from 4:00 to 5:00 pm

New therapies, drugs offer hope to meth addicts

2010-07-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

Researcher’s at California Pacific Medical Center's Addiction and Pharmacology Research Laboratory are focusing efforts on treatment for methamphetamine users by looking at new therapies (i.e. “motivational” therapy) and pharmaceutical drugs that will help users fight their addiction.

See article in today's San Francisco Chronicle for the full story.

"Tackling America's Drug Addiction" - NPR Interview

2010-06-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

Click here to listen to the June 18, 2010 NPR interview with Joseph Califano, founder and chairman of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, about national efforts to address drug use and addiction.

Evaluation on Mental Health Courts in Texas shows promising results

2010-05-18T16:20:00.000-07:00

Representing the Mentally Ill Offender
An evaluation of Advocacy Alternatives
By the Texas Task Force on Indigent Defense, Office of Court Administration

In the study researchers hypothesized that mental health courts provide positive outcomes on the following:
Pre‐disposition jail days
Mental health treatment engagement
Case disposition
Recidivism rates

What they found for those participating in mental health courts in Texas was that there were significant increases in long-term treatment engagement for all diagnoses, large statistically significant reductions in the chance of a guilty verdict, and they achieved statistically significant reductions in recidivism up to 18 months after case disposition. There were no statistically significant differences in pre-trial jail days.

**Results are based on all individuals who enrolled in the program including both successful and unsuccessful terminations. This is the most objective measurement approach as it reflects outcomes for everyone intended to benefit from the program – not just those who actually achieved positive results.

If you would like to read the entire report, please see PDF.

Study shows that more mentally ill persons are in jails and prisions

2010-05-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

Treatment Advocacy Center* Study reveals that
“More Mentally Ill Persons Are in Jails and Prisons Than Hospitals: A Survey of the States”

Here are a few interesting findings from the report:
-3 times more seriously mentally ill persons are in jails and prisons than in hospitals.
-16% of inmates have a serious mental illness.
-40% of individuals with a mental illness have been in jail or prison at some point in their lives.
-It is becoming even more difficult to find a bed for a seriously mentally ill person who needs to be hospitalized. In 2005 there was one psychiatric bed for every 3,000 Americans.

The study concludes that this problem can be solved with the use of assisted outpatient treatment and mental health courts. San Francisco Collaborative Courts are very proud of our efforts in this area with the application of our awarding winning Behavioral Health Court back in 2002.

*The Treatment Advocacy Center is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating barriers to the timely and effective treatment of severe mental illnesses. The Treatment Advocacy Center promotes laws, policies, and practices for the delivery of psychiatric care and supports the development of innovative treatments for and research into the causes of severe and persistent psychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. For more information visit their website at http://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/

CJC Town Hall May 25

2010-05-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

Please join us for the next CJC Town Hall meeting which will be held in conjuction with the Tenderloin Police Captain’s meeting.

When: Tuesday May 25th, 2010 6:00 p.m. -7:00 pm

Where: 301 Eddy Street at the Tenderloin Police Station in the Community Room.

Agenda: This meeting will be a community forum discussing

the first year outcomes and the goals for 2010.

If you want to offer comments or feedback on the CJC please write to us at communitjusticecenter@sftc.org

Upcoming Community Justice Center Meetings

2010-05-10T11:57:00.000-07:00

CJC Advisory Board Meeting
May 12, 2010
4:00-5:00 p.m.
Community Justice Center
555 Polk Street, 2nd Floor

CJC Town Hall
May 25, 2010
6:00 -7:00 p.m.
Location TBD

All meetings are open to the public.

International study on the effectiveness of Drug Courts on crime and incarceration costs

2010-05-10T10:39:00.000-07:00

Researchers at the American University conducted a study of Drug Courts in 12 countries to learn more about their effects on crime and prison costs. The report titled "Establishing Drug Treatment Courts: Strategies, Experiences, and Preliminary Outcomes," concluded that these programs do reduce recidivism and lower incarceration costs as well as provide much needed addiction and other supportive services to offenders, including health care, housing, job and family support.

Check out the Full Report.

Fantastic Article on Collaborative Justice

2010-05-03T14:56:00.000-07:00

In early April, the Daily Journal ran The Quiet Revolution Sweeping the Judicial System (excerpt below), authored by Jamie Jacobs-May, Presiding Judge, Superior Court of the State of California, County of Santa Clara at the invitation of SCCBA President, Mark Shem.

Courtroom trials make good drama. Many of us were inspired to enter the field of law, influenced by movies and television shows depicting trial work. The truth is that while adjudicating disputes through an adversary system is entertaining, we are learning that it is not the best way to resolve many issues that are before us in the court system.

Across the nation, a revolution in the way we approach cases is taking place. This new way of doing business goes by different names. Sometimes it is called "problem-solving". It is also called "therapeutic justice". In California, the name "collaborative justice" has been widely adopted.

What is so different? The goal of the traditional adjudication is to determine the facts from the evidence presented, apply the law, and determine a legal outcome- guilt, liability, etc. The aim of the collaborative approach is to address the problems that brought the case to us, using the authority of the court, but in collaboration with the parties and their attorneys, and often outside agencies, in order to come up with the best possible outcome.

Read the Full article.

Using the SF crime lab debacle as an opportunity to help addicts

2010-05-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

There has been much discussion about what will come out of the failures experienced at the SF crime lab. On April 26, the San Francisco Chronicle ran the following Op Ed written by Sunny Schwartz, Program Administrator for SF’s Sheriff’s Department. In the article, she urges the use of our existing Drug Court to get people into treatment. This approach not only helps people and saves lives, but it also saves money.

Click here to read Ms. Schwartz’s piece.

William T. Rossiter Award given to Judge Stephen Manley of Santa Clara

2010-04-13T11:33:00.001-07:00

Judge Stephen Manley, Superior Court Judge in Santa Clara County was the recipient of the 2010 William T. Rossiter Award by the Forensic Mental Health Association of California (FMHAC). With over 30 years on the bench he was honored for his exceptional global contribution to the field of Forensic Mental Health.

Congratulations to Jo Robinson!

2010-04-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

Jo Robinson, MFT, Director of Jail Psychiatric Services and the Assistant Director of Jail Health Services in San Francisco, was awarded the Christine M. West Award for 2010 by the Forensic Mental Health Association of California (FMHAC) at this year’s annual conference. The West Award recognized Jo for her valuable contributions and dedication in the field of Forensic Mental Health.

Upcoming Collaborative Court Graduations

2010-04-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

Please join us in celebrating the successes of our collaborative courts' clients.

Drug Court Graduation Ceremony

Monday, April 12

2 p.m.
SF Health Commission @ 101 Grove Street

Offender Treatment Program Graduation Ceremony (Prop 36)

Thursday, April 22
10 a.m.

Department 18, Hall of Justice

Behavioral Health Court Graduation Ceremony

Thursday, May 13
2 p.m.
Department 15, Hall of Justice

SFCC Spring Newsletter

2010-04-02T11:03:00.000-07:00

San Francisco Collaborative Courts has released its Spring Newsletter.

Read it here to catch up with our lastest developments!

If you would like to be added to our e-mail list to recieve SFCC's Newsletter click here and add "SFCC Newsletter" in the subject line.

Newsome holds roundtable at CJC to commemorate year anniversary

2010-04-01T15:23:00.000-07:00

Community Justice Center’s caseload growing
By Erin Sherbert
SF Examiner
March 31, 2010

The number of low-level criminal cases moving through the Community Justice Center each month is expected to double this year, city officials said Tuesday.

Since the center opened last March, it has heard the cases of 2,161 defendants and assisted more than 860 clients with social services like substance abuse treatment, education and housing, according to the Mayor’s Office.

Mayor Gavin Newsom attended an informal roundtable event Tuesday with clients at the Community Justice Center, marking the progress of the 1-year-old program, which targets and assists low-level criminals while holding them accountable for their crimes.

The caseloads are only going to increase, said Tomiquia Moss, coordinator for the Community Justice Center. In the next six months, the center is expected to receive 400 new cases per month, up from an average of 222 cases today, Moss said.

“We are trying to work with as many clients as we can,” Moss said. “It’s going to be really important for us to utilize resources effectively and efficiently.”

The average appearance rate for center clients is 73 percent. In courtrooms, just 20 percent of defendants charged with low-level crimes appear in court, according to the Mayor’s Office.

Newsom used the roundtable discussion as a chance to tout the advantages of restorative justice and a community justice centers like San Francisco’s. The City’s center was modeled after New York City’s Mid-Town Manhattan Court, which is credited with reducing crime and saving money, Newsom said.

“It’s getting people out of the revolving door of the system,” he told people at the center, some of whom have been in and out of jail for the past two decades.

The Community Justice Center currently services the Tenderloin, Civic Center, Union Square and South of Market neighborhoods. Newsom said he hopes to expand the program soon to other parts of The City.

The Mayor visits the CJC

2010-04-01T15:14:00.000-07:00

Community Justice Center a year later [EXCERPT]
By Heather Knight
SF Chronicle
March 31, 2010
Full article

Seven months ago, 49-year-old Carl Hall was a heroin and crack addict with a penchant for shoplifting clothes and electronics. He'd spent more than half of the previous two years in jail when he was picked up again for commercial burglary and violating his probation.

Hall has kicked his drug habit with the help of methadone, is interviewing for jobs and is engaged to be married in July. He attributed his turnaround to the Community Justice Center - the Tenderloin court to prosecute low-level crimes that is celebrating its first anniversary - and said he'd probably be headed to San Quentin without it.

"I'm no spring chicken," he said. "Going to the penitentiary doesn't seem like a good option for me."

Hall was one of seven men handpicked by CJC staff to tell their success stories to Mayor Gavin Newsom who played Oprah for an hour Tuesday morning. There was a lot of laughter, some tears and plenty of relief among politicians and court staff that the controversial court has worked when its very existence was initially in doubt.

"It's amazing - it's been a year since we organized this effort," Newsom said at the beginning of the session.

SF Collaborative Courts Volunteer Day Was A Success!

2010-03-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

A large group of Drug Court and Behavioral Health Court clients attended a volunteer day put on by the Court and the Golden Gate Parks Conservancy. Our group help to plant over 250 plants and helped pull out 10 large bags full of weeds. Everyone who participated worked so hard and were extremely excited about their accomplishments.

Here are a few photos from our day...

A BIG Thank you to all the Volunteers!

Behavioral Health Court helps the mentally ill jail population

2010-03-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

It is clear that Behavioral Health Court is a crucial component to changing the lives of those living with mental illness in San Francisco who have become involved in the criminal justice system.

Check out this article [excerpt below] in the San Francisco Chronicle today.
Full article

San Francisco chooses jail over treatment
By Fred J. Martin Jr.

An explosion of research shows mentally ill persons treated early often go on to full recovery, gain employment, respond to treatment and live productively. Yet in San Francisco, more mentally ill are in jail than in hospitals, despite a blunt conclusion by Deputy Public Defender Jennifer Johnson: "Treatment is more efficient and cheaper than incarceration."

Johnson represents some 100 to 120 clients before the Behavioral Health Court. Due to a severe reduction in beds, both public and private, for acute treatment, San Francisco is paying a huge price. Those not given treatment and care are spun out to the streets, often ending up in the criminal justice system. Many ultimately go to state prisons. They are the homeless who live and beg on our streets, consumers of street drugs and both victims and perpetrators of street crime. Thomas Jefferson, a client in a mental health program run by a partnership of San Francisco General Hospital and UC San Francisco, stabilized with medication. He told a Mental Health Board hearing last month that earlier treatment would have allowed him to function now at a higher level. He considered himself fortunate to have appeared before the Behavioral Health Court, as his schizophrenia and drug addiction were treated. Otherwise, he said, he likely would be in prison.

Annette Robinson, diagnosed as bipolar, praised Behavioral Health Court staff and caseworkers, adding: "When ... arrested ... I went to jail. I don't think anybody knew how to help me. My mind was totally gone." On medication, she said, the Behavioral Health Court staff "have shown me an unconditional care about how my life turns out. I do need help still. "They have allowed me to get to a place where I can do things on my own... start to go back to work. I am going to school now."

SMART Recovery- Another approach to addiction treatment

2010-03-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

SMART Recovery was founded in 1994 and is based on principles of self-empowerment and cognitive behavioral therapy.

To learn more about this practice visit: http://www.smartrecovery.org/intro/index.htm

Check out the following article by Join Together:
SMART Recovery Pitched as AA Alternative

**Join Together is the nation's leading provider of infomation and strategic planning assistance in effective alcohol and drug policy, prevention and treatment.

The CJC Turns One!

2010-03-01T16:57:00.000-08:00

Since opening its doors on March 3, 2009, the San Francisco Community Justice Center (CJC), serving the Tenderloin, Civic Center, Union Square and SOMA neighborhoods, has heard the cases of more than 1,800 defendants.

The CJC Service Center has engaged 800 clients in social services, including drug treatment, mental health treatment, primary care, employment and education services, and housing services. Sixty-four percent of assessed CJC clients have serious substance abuse problems, and nearly half are at risk for homelessness, financial troubles, and mental health issues.

In its first nine months of operation, the CJC processed 900 misdemeanor citation cases, decreasing the the median time between citation and arraignment from 45 days to 4 days. The CJC is the only community court in California hearing serious case types, including nonviolent felonies and probation revocation cases. The felony caseload increased from 17 percent of all cases in June to 33 percent of cases in November.

The average appearance rate for CJC clients is 73 percent.

Interview with CJC Judge Ron Albers

2010-02-02T09:24:00.000-08:00

Visit the Center for Court Innovation's website to read the interview.

Podcast on the Community Justice Center

2010-02-01T11:40:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, January 28 the Community Justice Center was featured on local radio show Your Legal Rights with host Chuck Finney, on 91.7 KALW.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ron Albers gave an in-depth description of the CJC program and its overall goal to eliminate barriers to success for its participants.

Click here to download the podcast.

CJC Town Hall Tomorrow, January 12th

2010-01-11T10:26:00.000-08:00

The Community Justice Center is holding a Town Hall meeting Tuesday January 12th, 2010, 5:30 -7:00 p.m. at 301 Eddy St., at the Tenderloin Police Station in the Community Room.

This meeting will be a community forum to discuss how the CJC and the community can better assist chronic offenders.

Please join us for this ongoing community dialogue.

San Francisco Superior Court takes part in Jobs Now Program

2009-12-14T08:38:00.000-08:00

Through help from Collaborative Court staff, San Francisco Superior Court has placed 25 unemployed parents in positions as part of the Jobs Now Program. The participants are extremely motivated and thrilled to be working at the Court.

San Francisco is one of only three counties in California that are participating in this program. To date 1,200 residents have been hired and Mayor Gavin Newsom hopes to see another 1,000 or more San Franciscan’s in a job in the coming months. For more information about the program visit: http://www.jobsnowsf.org/

Here are a couple recent articles about the Jobs Now program…

Newsom wants to find you a job
San Francisco Chronicle
By Heather Knight
December 10, 2009

S.F.'s Jobs Now program employs 1,200
San Francisco Business Times
By Eric Young
December 10, 2009

CJC Advisory Board Meeting--Tomorrow

2009-12-08T15:38:00.000-08:00

Please join us for the CJC Advisory Board Meeting

When: December 9 from 4pm-5pm
Where: CJC- 555 Polk Street, 2nd Floor

There will be time allotted for public comment at the end of the meeting.

If you have questions or concerns this is a great opportunity to have them heard!

Upcoming Webinar on Behavioral Health Services & the Criminal Justice System

2009-12-07T09:55:00.000-08:00

Tune in Tomorrow, December 8th at 11am (Pacific standard time)

Ending an American Tragedy: A National Leadership Forum Webinar

The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare has organized a webinar to review recommendations for effective collaboration outlined in a recent Report from the National Leadership Forum on Behavioral Health/Criminal Justice Services. Forum leaders highlight current innovative and successful programs across the country. The presenters will discuss the Essential System of Care and how it can be used in planning community responses to justice involved persons. The National Leadership Forum is co-chaired by the National Council and the CMHS National GAINS Center.

Register for the webinar NOW!

Fantastic article about the Community Justice Center in today's SF Chronicle

2009-11-30T13:44:00.000-08:00

Innovative Tenderloin court has fans, skeptics [EXCERPT]
By Heather Knight, Chronicle Staff Writer
San Francisco Chronicle
November 30, 2009
Full Article

A pot of orchids sits on the judge's wooden dais. A courtroom staffer passes around bowls of candy, snatched up with equal glee by lawyers in dark suits and defendants in soiled clothes.

The judge heaps kindness on the defendants, complimenting one woman on her smile and allowing a man who's not feeling well to return another day. Some who particularly please Superior Court Judge Ron Albers with their progress receive $10 Safeway gift cards. Perhaps it's no wonder, then, that San Francisco's controversial Community Justice Center - the Tenderloin court created to prosecute low-level crimes that blight the neighborhood - has now sprung to life.

It opened in March at a cost of $2.7 million. Few defendants showed up and most cases were dismissed, prompting some city officials to call it a pricey waste of time.

But on a recent afternoon, 115 defendants filled the standing-room-only court, and 76 percent of defendants are now appearing for their assigned court dates. Albers says that in traditional courtrooms, 20 percent of defendants picked up for committing low-level crimes appear in court.

A unique approach

But the Community Justice Center is anything but traditional.

"How are you today?" Albers asked 38-year-old Tenecia Gippson-Kent.

"Great," she answered, beaming.

"I would say you're blessed," Albers said, asking the room to give her a round of applause.

Gippson-Kent was arrested this fall for passing a bad check. She'd been in and out of jail, mostly on drug charges. She said a cocaine addiction led to her losing her four kids and sleeping on the streets.

Since coming to the Community Justice Center, she's been assigned a case manager. She's taking parenting classes, attending substance abuse support groups and seeing a therapist, and she has a bed in a shelter.

Prison Treatment Cuts Could Feed Recidivism in Calif.

2009-11-23T12:01:00.000-08:00

Join Together recently reported that "an 80-percent reduction in prison addiction-treatment capacity could lead to a proportional increase in recidivism in California." As California prisons cut substance abuse programming to meet budget shortfalls, collaborative courts will become more critical mechanisms to reduce recidivism at the local level. Collaborative courts seek to address the root causes of criminal behavior through a combination of judicial supervision and the provision of treatment and social services.

Participation in San Francisco's Drug Court, one of the County's four adult collaborative courts, is associated with significant decreases in recidivism. Participants entering Drug Court in 2003 experienced a 37% decrease in arrests in the three years after entering the program. Graduates experienced a staggering 73% decrease in recidivism.

Prison Treatment Cuts Could Feed Recidivism in Calif.

Community Justice Center Judge Ronald Albers in the News!

2009-11-17T15:20:00.000-08:00

Ronald Albers [excerpt]
By Kate Moser
The Recorder - http://www.law.com
November 17, 2009
Full Article

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ronald Albers passed by the metal detector on a recent afternoon and glided in his sharp, brown suit out the front door, where a group of defendants had gathered before the day's calendar at Polk Street's Community Justice Center.

Immediately several defendants struck up conversations with the judge as if they were old friends.

Albers moved seamlessly from one conversation to the next with "his people," as he calls the defendants the court sees from the Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods.

Community Justice Center UPDATE

2009-11-10T09:32:00.000-08:00

In October the CJC produced a 6 month Status Report…here are some of the highlights!

Over 400 clients have been engaged in treatment at the CJC
There are 250 currently active clients who are 98% compliant with treatment
Restorative Justice component is thriving with well over 600 hours of community service completed
The Overall Appearance Rate continues hold firm at 65%; with drug felony offenses at 86%, violence-related offenses at 76%, and theft offenses at 81%
There is an average of 24 “in-custody” defendants per day and 57 “out of custody” defendants per day
TL Community Court Panelists (a program of SF District Attorneys Office) held their October session at the CJC, of which (8) eight CJC cases were directly referred
Holding cells to be completed in the coming weeks; allowing for enhanced case processing and immediacy of engagement for “in custody’ individuals

HOPE aims to transform the Criminal Justice System

2009-11-10T09:05:00.000-08:00

Take a look at this interesting article about innovative efforts made by Hawaii circuit judge, Hon. Steven Alm.

Swift and Certain: Hawaii’s Probation Experiment
By John Buntin of Governing.com

Here in San Francisco, we are proud to state that several of our Collaborative Court Programs are on the forefront of this endeavor as well.

Behavioral Health Court Addresses Co-Occurring Disorders

2009-11-02T09:26:00.000-08:00

Behavioral Health Court takes a harm reduction approach to substance use among participants with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. BHC recognizes that substance abuse often compromises the safety, wellbeing, and mental health of our clients, and we encourage clients, through a system of incentives and sanctions, to move towards abstaining from problematic drug and alcohol use so that they may achieve their goals and successfully exit the criminal justice system.

The following literature review compiles much of the best research on the topic of co-occurring disorders. This research serves as the basis for BHC’s work with individuals who experience both serious mental illness and substance abuse.

Drug Court Leaders Set the Record Straight

2009-10-26T12:50:00.000-07:00

The National Association of Drug Court Professionals and leaders in the Drug Court community have vigorously responded to recent press surrounding criticisms levied by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Over the last month, NADCP and our members have been involved with the publication of a series of pieces that set the record straight and confirm to the public that Drug Courts are the most researched, cost effective and successful strategy in the nation for dealing with addicted offenders.

Click here to read these publications.

Opening the Doors of the Justice System

2009-10-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

Insights on community courts as vehicles for participatory justice, from Greg Berman, Director of the Center for Court Innovation:

Tonight I went to a lecture at the New School on the topic of "What Would Dewey Do?" The event, which was part of the 90th anniversary celebration of the New School, attempted to translate the principles of pragmatism and progressive education espoused by John Dewey, one of the founders of the New School, into the present day. One of the principal points that the lecturer, Peter Rutkoff of Kenyon College, made was that universities should move away from an ivory tower model and attempt to operate more like a bazaar. The general idea is that there is a need to break down the walls that often exist between theory and action and to encourage universities to think of themselves as open places where both students and non-students can come to test the merchandise (in this case, knowledge). From my place in the audience, it struck me that in many ways community courts, which open the doors of the criminal justice system and encourage local residents to participate in producing justice at some level, are an embodiment of some of these ideas.

CJC Town Hall-- October 28th @ 5:30 p.m.

2009-10-22T14:41:00.000-07:00

Please join us for the next Town Hall meeting hosted by Community Justice Center (CJC). It will be held Wednesday, October 28, 2009 from 5:30 -7:00 pm at the NOM/TL Community Benefit District Office located at 134 Golden Gate Ave.

At this Town Hall members of the community will be discussing barriers to employment for formally incarcerated individuals seeking gainful employment. CJC participants will also be sharing their experience. We will also provide a 6-month Analysis of the CJC operations.

We hope you will be able to attend!

Courting Drug-Policy Reform

2009-10-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

By Dina Fine Maron - Newsweek Web Exclusive

Excerpt:
Before January, Judge Wendell P. Gardner Jr. had never been hugged by a defendant. But he had to get into a different mindset when he took over as the District of Columbia's adult-drug-court judge at the beginning of the year. Now, each month when nonviolent drug offenders "graduate" from the five to 18 months of judge-supervised treatment, he steps off the bench and interacts with the users he helps keep out of jail. For the George H.W. Bush appointee, drug courts are not about politics, they are about treatment and results. "You get a sense you're really helping someone," he says.

Full article here:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/216866

Upcoming CJC Advisory Board Meeting -- Open to all

2009-10-07T15:37:00.000-07:00

Please join us for the next Advisory Board Meeting on Wednesday, October 14 from 4pm-5pm at the CJC- 555 Polk Street, 2nd Floor.
There will be time allotted for public comment at the end of the meeting.

Behavioral Health Court Fundraiser

2009-09-29T11:46:00.000-07:00

Please join us for drinks, appetizers, and to help raise funds to celebrate the achievements of successful Behavioral Health Court clients!

Thursday, October 8, 2009
5:00 – 8:00 PM
Mars Bar & Restaurant
798 Brannan Street @ 7th Street

Please make all donations payable to the San Francisco Study Center

Can’t make it? You can still donate! Please send donations to:

Office of Collaborative Justice Programs
Superior Court of California, San Francisco County
400 McAllister Street, Room 205
San Francisco, CA 94102

*All donations to the San Francisco Study Center are tax-deductable. The Study Center is the 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor of the
Office of Collaborative Justice Programs

FRONTLINE Broadcast on Mentally Ill Offenders

2009-09-28T08:57:00.000-07:00

Back in April 2009, the PBS series FRONTLINE broadcast a film called "The Released," which explores what happens to mentally ill offenders once they are released from prison.

A video clip is available at: www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/released/.

A Call to Action

2009-09-18T09:26:00.000-07:00

The National Leadership Forum on Behavioral Health/Criminal Justice Services (NLF),established in 2008 to address common barriers to successful diversion and reentry, has recently published a report on the issue of addressing the needs of people with mental illness in the criminal justice system.

“Now, more than ever, as we strive to provide health care to our most vulnerable citizens, we must address this serious public health and public safety crisis.”

The report recommends eight essential evidence-based services for justice-involved people with mental illness: 1) Forensic Intensive Case Management; 2) Supportive Housing; 3) Peer Support; 4) Accessible and Appropriate Medication; 5) Integrated Dual Diagnosis Treatment; 6) Supported Employment; 7) Assertive Community Treatment; and, 8) Cognitive Behavioral Interventions Targeted to Risk Factors.

Read the full report-

Ending an American Tragedy: Addressing the Needs of Justice Involved People with Mental Illnesses and Co-Occurring Disorders

Human Rights at Home: Mental Illness in U.S. Prisons and Jails

2009-09-17T14:48:00.000-07:00

On September 15, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law, discussed the prevalence of mental illness among those incarcerated in the United States, and what we can do to address this significant problem.

Watch the webcast, featuring Senators Richard Durbin and Al Franken.

San Francisco Behavioral Health Court was created in 2002 in response to the increasing number of mentally ill defendants cycling through San Francisco's jails and courts. Through a combination of judicial supervision, collaborative decisionmaking among partner agencies, and intensive case management, BHC seeks to reduce recidivism by helping defendants with serious mental illness access community treatment.

Community Justice Center Advisory Board Meeting

2009-09-02T15:38:00.000-07:00

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

CJC Advisory Board Meeting

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

555 Polk Street

4:00-5:00 p.m.

Community Justice Center Town Hall Meeting

2009-09-02T15:30:00.000-07:00

In lieu of the September Town Hall...

There will be a forum discussing the drug dealing problem in the Tenderloin and how the Criminal Justice System is handling this situation. Judge Ron Albers from the CJC and Assistant DA Sharon Woo, who heads the DA's Narcotics Unit, both will be speaking on how the courts and the DA's office are addressing this plague on our community.

Please join them on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. at the Tenderloin Police Station located at 301 Eddy Street.

Public defender is no friend to justice center

2009-08-31T12:13:00.000-07:00

Public defender is no friend to justice center [excerpt]
C.W. Nevius, San Francisco Chronicle
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Full Article

The Community Justice Center in the Tenderloin is transformed. This week the courtroom was standing-room only with defendants facing serious felony charges. Not only is the special court handling lots of cases - 498 in the first three weeks of this month - attendance is excellent.

It took five months, but the CJC is finally making progress.

Now where is Jeff Adachi? The public defender complained that defendants at the Tenderloin court never showed, and that the court was a waste of time and resources. But now that it is seeing results, Adachi's office is AWOL.

Check out this article on the CJC!

2009-08-20T10:50:00.001-07:00

Published in the SF Examiner on August 13, 2009
“Seeking justice for Tenderloin court” by Tamara Barak Aparton
READ HERE

The First 100 Days: San Francisco’s Community Justice Center

2009-07-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

In March, the San Francisco Community Justice Center (CJC) opened its doors to serve the Tenderloin, South of Market, Union Square and Civic Center neighborhoods where 57 percent of the city’s drug-related crimes occur. The justice center’s approach is to link offenders with social services, and to sentence defendants to community service projects to pay back the neighborhoods where crimes take place. Most defendants who complete their court mandate have their charges dismissed.

In the first 100 days since the CJC opened, the program has been able to reduce delay for misdemeanor citations from 45 days to 2 days for the first court appearance. The court has taken most "out of custody" misdemeanor cases, and is increasing its felony cases. The court has successfully engaged people in treatment plans under our diversion laws immediately upon program entry. Of the 160 clients who have engaged in services, 60 accessed care under a justice mandate, 60 defendants voluntarily engaged in services and 40 ‘walked-in’ or were referred from other agencies. There is already a cost-savings story to tell. An estimate of jail bed savings of only 5 CJC defendants totals $23,000. In tracking 2 clients identified as high users of multiple systems (repeated hospital visits, emergency psychiatric treatment, police and fire in a 6 month period), the CJC’s centralized services coupled with court accountability reduced these costs by 50 percent.

The Superior Court joined with city partners to start a justice center because of our achievements in other problem-solving courts. A recently completed San Francisco Drug Court Cost-Benefit Study, published by the Administrative Office of the Courts and NPC Research, Inc. shows a savings of $48 million in program and recidivism costs since the program’s inception in 1995. In 2007, a UCSF study of our nationally recognized Behavioral Health Court for mentally ill offenders found a 26 percent reduction in recidivism in the 18 months after participants entered the program. The city has shown exemplary leadership in supporting collaborative courts and has undertaken new program development in the dependency and juvenile systems as well. Research has shown that repeat offenders have a complicated set of problems that cause their criminal behavior. People are landing in the courtroom because other institutional safety nets are no longer in place. The court has become one of the last stops before jail.

The development of the Community Justice Center is rooted in the problem-solving court model that seeks solutions to long-standing problems through collaboration and partnership. Many San Franciscans support the same approach. In a 2008 baseline survey completed by the Department of Public Health, 60 percent of respondents expressed positive or very positive feelings about the opening of the CJC. Not surprisingly, 87% of respondents cited homelessness and 71% cited drugs as serious problems in the neighborhoods that define the CJC community.

The CJC differs from the other collaborative court programs. The justice center hosts a number of city agencies whose services can be accessed by offenders and the community at large. There are several reasons why this is important. For a defendant coming to the court, the team can problem-solve immediately and fast track the individual to completing community service, finding temporary housing or engaging in other services. For the city’s public health and human services system, we can consolidate and centralize resources and maximize efficiency. Most importantly, this innovative justice facility can provide the much needed treatment and prevention services before someone’s felony criminal charges lands a person in jail.

When the first Drug Court opened twenty years ago in Miami, courts and other criminal justice agencies collaborated to find new ways to reduce crime and improve public safety. All partnering agencies already knew what didn’t work. It was understood that if we ‘did the same, we would get the same.’ In little over three months, the CJC has shown remarkable progress in getting something different. The first 100 days are only the beginning.

Written by Lisa Lightman, Director of the San Francisco Superior Court’s Collaborative Justice Programs

Drug Courts featured in The Huffington Post

2009-07-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

On July 21, The Huffington Post ran an article about the success of Drug Courts across the country. See link below for full article.

"All Rise!": A Better Way of Justice is now in Session

2009-06-23T16:41:00.000-07:00

The Office of Collaborative Justice Programs has released its Summer 2009 Newsletter.

Read it here to catch up with our latest developments!

CJC Advisory Board meeting open to the public

2009-06-18T10:55:00.001-07:00

Please join us for the next Advisory Board Meeting on Wednesday, June 24 from 4pm-5pm at the CJC- 555 Polk Street, 2nd Floor.

There will be time allotted for public comment at the end of the meeting.

NPR Highlights Drug Courts

2009-06-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

See below for a link to the story.

Drug Czar Kerlikowske Leads Shift In Drug Policy
by Ina Jaffe

Listen Now [4 min 46 sec]
Morning Edition, June 15, 2009 · The Obama administration hopes to more than double the funding for drug courts in next year's budget. Leading the shift in drug policy is new U.S. Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske. He's only been on the job for a month. One of his first visits was to the Orange County Drug Court in southern California.

Community Justice Center featured on KALW (91.7)FM

2009-05-18T08:37:00.000-07:00

Monday, May 18 CJC Coordinator Tomiquia Moss was a guest on local public radio station KALW's City Visions. The topic was the CJC.

Click here to listen to the show.

BHC featured on KALW public radio

2009-05-12T11:13:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, May 5th BHC team member Kathleen Connolly-Lacey and BHC graduate Thomas Jefferson were guests on KALW's "Your Call."

Title: How do we connect with the mentally ill?

Host: Rose Aguilar

Click here to listen to the show.

Also to find out about upcoming shows go to http://yourcallradio.blogspot.com/

CJC Update- May 2009

2009-05-11T09:41:00.000-07:00

As the CJC continues to engage with the community it serves, several important issues are emerging, such as illegal evictions, supporting probationers, the relationship between the police and the community, as well as the issue of racial disparities in the criminal justice system as a whole. All of us here at the CJC are dedicated to addressing community concerns and to working in partnership for community change and to making positive changes to our justice system.

On April 29, the CJC held a Town Hall meeting to offer updates about CJC progress and solicit input from community stakeholders about how best to serve the community. The Town Hall included a robust discussion about CJC case types and the range of services offered to clients referred to the CJC. One of the highlights of the discussion was a suggestion that the CJC begin to explore how the private SRO landlords are treating tenants with regard to illegal evictions. This was an exciting development as we explore how the CJC can better support the needs of the community. The Court is exploring this issue with some community stakeholders in an effort to actualize this suggestion.

Another component of the CJC that is gaining traction is our work with the probationers in the CJC region. The Adult Probation Department now has staff on-site who are working with probationers living in the CJC region, and utilizing CJC resources to help probationers successfully complete their probation terms. This has been a great addition to the work that we are doing at CJC. The CJC also has a high-risk probation calendar in the afternoons during which Probation Officers can address compliance issues, and work with probationers who are a risk of violating their probation.

As we continue to ramp up our operations at the CJC, we want to make sure that we are being accountable to the clients that come through our doors as well as the broader community that we serve. Recently, community stakeholders asserted that there has been an increase in the number of misdemeanor citations issued by the police department for lodging in the CJC region. The CJC takes this issue very seriously and we are committed to investigating this assertion. We will be inviting Police officers to our next Town Hall to address this issue, and come up with solutions if this indeed happening. The next Town Hall will be held in June 2009. Please stay tuned for more details.

On May 6, I had the privilege of attending the Justice Summit sponsored by the Public Defender’s Office and SF Bar Association. The house was packed with a broad cross-section of the community joined together in conversation about providing quality legal representation to those who can not afford private counsel. It was an inspiring dialogue about how we as a city must ensure that indigent folks have access to quality counsel.

I was especially struck by the remarks of Sheriff Michael Hennessey. Sheriff Hennessey addressed the crowd with a looming problem that speaks to the inherent quandary that those of us involved in the criminal justice community face. He explained that on that very day, 1 in 18 adult black men in San Francisco were in the County Jail . It was at that moment that I experienced a moment of clarity. The criminal justice system is severely failing segments our communities. We have a duty to critically examine this system and commit to meaningful reform efforts. The CJC and our other collaborative courts— Drug Court, Behavioral Health Court, and Proposition 36 Court— represent efforts to provide meaningful interventions that prevent incarceration. To begin such interventions only after incarceration is too late. Please stay tuned for continued progress on the CJC.

Tomiquia

"The Soloist"- BHC team member Kathleen Connolly-Lacey sits on panel about Mental Illness

2009-04-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday, April 21, 2009 NAMI offered a special presentation of the new movie "The Soloist" starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx. Prior to the showing, there was a moving panel including BHC team member Kathleen Connolly-Lacey and BHC graduate Thomas Jefferson.

See Press Release for details.

Check out "The Soloist"

Drug Court Graduation in the News!

2009-04-15T14:36:00.000-07:00

Check out these news clips from the San Francisco Drug Court Graduation ceremony held at the Civic Center Courthouse on Monday, April 13, 2009.

KTVU- Channel 2
http://www.ktvu.com/video/19172505/index.html

KGO- Channel 7
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=6759112

Community Justice Center UPDATE

2009-04-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

Boy has it been a rollercoaster week at the CJC! We have had a great deal of activity. The CJC is continuing to clarify our processes with the goal of being accountable and transparent to the community and its many stakeholders.

We had a great opportunity to share these processes at an informational workshop hosted by our community partners at Glide. The event was an opportunity to engage community stakeholders in CJC activities, to discuss how we can enlist their help in improving court operations, and a chance for community members to share what is on their minds. Issues raised at the workshop were deep seeded issues that San Francisco has been addressing for a long time. Issues regarding sufficient housing for low income San Franciscans and relations between the police and community stakeholders were prominent concerns for many attendees. Additionally, issues like sustainable, livable wage jobs and adequate social services that help people improve their lives beyond basic needs were also on the minds of many in the room. As a social justice advocate, I am often personally challenged by these very issues, as well the task of being creative about better solutions for our communities.

I believe, that the CJC offers another option. It reflects a conscious and thoughtful alternative to the current way of doing things. It is very easy to point out the vulnerabilities of the CJC. It is much harder to work toward creative and strategic solutions to help those struggling everyday in our communities. The CJC can be a community-serving resource for anyone willing to be a part of it. In just a month of operation, we are already working with nearly 50 clients and counting!

The CJC is open for business and we hope that our community stakeholders will come by for a visit and become familiar with what the CJC has to offer. You do not have to be involved in the criminal justice system to participate in CJC services. We have on-site harm reduction substance use groups, anger management groups, a housing application workshop that helps people get through the housing application process. We are also offering individual counseling, case management and mental health treatment. We have partners that can address educational and employment needs.

Please take a look at our calendar of activities link under San Francisco Resources in this blog. The CJC is working with a community network of service providers to ensure that clients can have the best outcomes for their lives.

As mentioned in my last posting, we want creative and constructive input from the community as we institutionalize the CJC so please continue to stay engaged with us. Our goals of reducing the cycle of recidivism and improving outcomes for people’s lives guide our work as we get the CJC off the ground.

We hope to see you at our upcoming meetings!
Tomiquia

Upcoming CJC Meeting Dates

2009-04-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

CJC Advisory Board Meeting

April 22, 2009

4-5 pm

CJC-555 Polk St.

CJC Town Hall Meeting

April 29, 2009

5:30-7 pm

CJC-555 Polk St.