NYAPRS News: An estimated 14.5% of men and 31% of women admitted to jail have a serious mental illness—rates that are four to six times higher than in the general population. A key part of the Bazelon Center’s strategy is to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses who are needlessly incarcerated. From mobile crisis teams to supportive housing, the Center’s system reform efforts over four decades have diverted people with mental illnesses from jails and prisons. As a part of this ongoing effort, the Center is a technical service provider for the MacArthur Foundation’s Safety & Justice Challenge (SJC) program, is providing support to local leaders from across the country who are determined to tackle one of the greatest drivers of over-incarceration in America—the misuse and overuse of jails. The Center itself is working with leaders across the country, including in Harris County (Houston), St. Louis County, and Palm Beach County. At a recent convening of the SJC network in Pittsburgh, PA, The Marshall Project screened a selection of videos from We Are Witnesses. The stories are powerful and demonstrate the importance and the urgency of jail reform. We encourage you to watch some or all of the short videos HERE.
The MacArthur Safety & Justice Challenge
Approximately one-fifth to one-quarter of jail inmates have a serious mental illness, and a key part of the Bazelon Center’s strategy is to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses who are needlessly incarcerated. From mobile crisis teams to supportive housing, the Center’s system reform efforts over four decades have diverted people with mental illnesses from jails and prisons. As a part of this ongoing effort, the Center is a technical service provider for the MacArthur Foundation’s Safety & Justice Challenge (SJC) program, which provides support to local leaders across the country to help them rethink jails. The Center itself is working with leaders across the country, including in Harris County (Houston), St. Louis County, and Palm Beach County.