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Collaboration Among State and Federal Agencies Benefits Mentally Ill Offenders Reentering Society

NCJ Number
209172
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 67 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2005 Pages: 50-52,77
Author(s)
Denise Tomasini; Karen Imas
Date Published
February 2005
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the importance of information sharing and collaboration among State and Federal agencies so that community mental health programs can work effectively in corrections to ensure the offender’s access to appropriate services upon release.
Abstract
States and localities recognize the challenges facing offenders with mental illnesses for successful reintegration and have begun implementing innovative programs to ensure that these offenders are promptly connected to benefit programs upon their release from prison. Various States and key Federal agencies came together, through a Council of State Governments (CSG) forum and discussed these innovative State strategies and the possibilities for improved State and Federal collaboration. Mentally ill offenders rely heavily on Federal benefit programs to pay for housing, food, and mental health services upon release. To reduce and eliminate the revolving door scenario of these offenders, it is of significant importance to connect mentally ill offenders to the benefits and services they need. The CSG forum focused on streamlining the processes and programs that States have developed to enable eligible offenders with mental illnesses to receive Federal benefits promptly upon release to the community. Federal benefits play a crucial role in helping offenders with mental illnesses reenter the community from prison and jail, reiterating the benefits of State and Federal collaboration.