National Projects

Active Projects

Project:: Criminal Justice / Mental Health Consensus Project
Issue Area:: Improving the response to people with mental illnesses involved with‚ or at risk of involvement with‚ the criminal justice system.
Description:: The Criminal Justice / Mental Health Consensus Project is an unprecedented, national effort to help local, state, and federal policymakers and criminal justice and mental health professionals improve the response to people with mental illnesses who come into contact with the criminal justice system.; The landmark Consensus Project Report, which was written by CSG staff and representatives of leading criminal justice and mental health organizations, was released in June 2002. Since then, Justice Center staff working on the Consensus Project have supported the implementation of practical, flexible criminal justice/mental health strategies through on-site technical assistance; the dissemination of information about programs, research, and policy developments in the field; continued development of policy recommendations; and educational presentations.
Resources:: To view a list of the Justice Center's criminal justice / mental health resources, click here.

Project:: Reentry Policy Council
Issue Area:: Charting the safe and successful return of prisoners to the community.
Description:: The Reentry Policy Council (RPC) assists state government officials and others grappling with the increasing number of people leaving prisons and jails to return to their communities.; The RPC was formed in 2001 with two specific goals: develop bipartisan policies and principles to help elected officials and other policymakers improve the likelihood that adults released from prison or jail will avoid crime and become productive, healthy members of families and communities; and facilitate coordination and information sharing among organizations implementing reentry initiatives, researching state policy trends, communicating about related issues, or funding reentry programs.
Resources:: To view a list of the Justice Center's reentry resources, click here.

Project:: Justice Reinvestment Initiative
Issue Area:: Increasing public safety, reducing spending on corrections, and improving conditions in the neighborhoods to which most people released from prison return.
Description:: In every state, there are a handful of “high-stakes” communities to which most people released from prison return; these are also the communities where taxpayer-funded programs are disproportionately focused. Justice reinvestment is a strategy that makes the most of opportunities presented when helping the increasing numbers of people returning from prison and jail to break the cycle of recidivism—making these communities safer, stronger, and healthier. To assist state policymakers, Justice Center staff working on the Justice Reinvestment Initiative is providing technical assistance to a limited number of states that demonstrate a bipartisan interest in this strategy.
Resources:: To view a list of the Justice Center's justice reinvestment resources, click here.

High Utilizers Initiative: Hospital emergency rooms are the most expensive places for individuals to receive medical care. They are often also the primary point of access to health services for individuals with untreated alcohol and substance use problems. Leading medical associations, policymakers, researchers, and public health organizations have agreed on the need to change policies in emergency rooms and trauma centers, remove barriers to intervention, and provide better training and protocols for physicians and other practitioners. The CSG Justice Center will develop a guide for state-level policymakers that discusses strategies for identifying and addressing untreated alcohol and substance abuse problems among people receiving medical care in emergency rooms.