Released on Tuesday, November 16, 2021.
The challenge of mental health impacts America nationwide. It impacts our states, our communities, our courts, and our entire justice system. Courts are at the center of the clash between competing funding choices, community concerns, and those struggling with behavioral health issues. Local jails and detention centers are the largest providers of mental health services in the country: for both adults and children. In 44 states a jail or prison holds more individuals with mental health issues than that state’s largest psychiatric hospital. On the other hand, nearly 30 percent of all family homicides involve an individual suffering with a mental illness.
This month is the first of five episodes. They will be spread out over the coming winter and spring discussing the National Judicial Task Force to Examine State Courts’ Response to Mental Illness.
Some of the questions we will explore include:
- What do we know now about mental health, incarceration, and the courts?
- What sort of change can courts make to deal with the mental health challenge?
- What options do judges have in helping the mentally ill, what sort of options should judges have?
- What advice do our guests have for the rest of us regarding mental health and the courts?
Our panel today includes:
- The Honorable Steve Leifman, Judge of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court in Miami, Florida, and
- Patti Tobias, Principal Court Management Consultant with the National Center for State Courts in Denver, Colorado
Click here to listen to the podcast.
Leave a question or comment about the episode at clapodcast@nacmnet.org.
Show Notes
> Additional Resources
Samantha Wallis
Samantha grew up in Idaho, where she attended the University of Idaho to obtain her B.S. in Anthropology. She went on to obtain her M.S. in International Relations at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. She has worked for the courts since 2017 where she is currently the Assistant Trial Court Administrator for the First Judicial District of Idaho. In her spare time she loves traveling, trivia, and the outdoors.
Greg Lambard
Greg Lambard began his career with the State of New Jersey in 1991 after obtaining a BA in Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland and a MA in Criminal Justice from Rutgers University. He has served in the State Judiciary in various administrative roles and as a researcher/statistician. Additionally, he served two years in the New Jersey Governor’s Office, as Special Assistant to the State’s Chief Information Officer.
He has worked in the New Jersey Judiciary in the Essex County Criminal Division, AOC-Family Practice Division, in the Morris County Family, Operations, and Criminal Divisions (serving as Division Manager in each), in the Burlington County Probation Division as Chief Probation Officer, and currently serves as the Trial Court Administrator for the Middlesex County Superior Court. He is President of the Mid-Atlantic Association for Court Management and a Past Director on the Board of the National Association for Court Management. He has served as a member of the Advisory Committee to the National Center for State Courts’, Pretrial Justice and the State Courts Initiative, and a member of the National Judicial Opioid Task Force.
Danielle Trujillo
Danielle Trujillo is an innovative public safety professional with an exceptional ability to research and analyze complex issues and provide actionable conclusions. Through problem solving and critical thinking she utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to bridge gaps in information and processes. DanielIe started her career in restorative justice and love the ability to directly serve my community through local government.
