(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Attorney General Mike DeWine and Ohio Supreme Court Justice Evelyn Stratton today convened the first meeting of the newly-formed Attorney General’s Task Force on Criminal Justice and Mental Illness. Justice Stratton and Attorney General DeWine will co-chair the Task Force.
The Task Force evolved from the former Advisory Committee on Mental Illness and the Courts (ACMIC), originally founded in 2001 to develop solutions for the revolving door issue of persons with mental illness trapped in the criminal justice system. The group helped establish 37 mental health courts, promoted the training of 4,580 CIT law enforcement officers in 76 of 88 counties, recommended changes to Medicaid, and advocated for a new Juvenile Competency Statute.
“Today we begin the process of expanding the mission of the original task force beyond the court system. I look forward to a continued partnership with Attorney General DeWine and, together with the Task Force members, building on our accomplishments of the past 10 years,” said Justice Stratton.
“Justice Stratton and I have collaborated extensively on issues related to mental health and the criminal justice system and I’m confident the efforts of the Task Force will move this important work forward,” added Attorney General DeWine.
Among the topics the Task Force will be briefed on is “sequential intercept mapping,” a process of identifying likely points of interaction in the community with those affected by mental illness and determining whether appropriate intervention resources are in place at those points. The Task Force will also be briefed on the efforts of the Attorney General’s office to combat drug abuse.
The Task Force plans to meet four times a year and focus on limited but targeted projects to maximize its effectiveness.
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