The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) is providing cutting-edge services to address the increasing needs for mental health services for inmates by instituting one of the first comprehensive Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPS) programs in a prison setting in the United States. The DOC, under the leadership of Secretary John Wetzel, has made significant strides toward improving mental health care for incarcerated individuals with mental illness. Implementation of

Police are almost always the first responders in cases of mental health crises in the United States, as they are in criminal and medical emergencies. But the police – who are trained to give orders and use forcewhen they feel endangered – are generally ill-equipped to handle people with mental health challenges. Read more here. https://theconversation.com/to-stop-police-shootings-of-peo… #ACCESS2opportunity #police #disabilities #mentalhealth#firstresponders #crisis #mentalhe

Stay up-to-date on criminal justice issues in California by subscribing to the Attorney General email lists! Be sure to "check" AB 953" which will keep you informed on issues and committees related to The Racial and Identity Profiling Act of 2015. Sign-up here. #ACCESS2opportunity #criminaljustice #BIPOC #mentalhealth #blacklivesmatter #policing #policy #AB953 #attornergeneral #stakeholderinvolvement #communityinvolvement #accountability #regulations #initiatives #publiccomme

Most kids entering juvenile detention have been disadvantaged by poverty and lack of resources, and more than 70% have mental health disorders that often go unseen and untreated, experts say. Mental health resources vary widely among states and often fail to treat underlying issues said Charlene Taylor, a senior researcher for the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, a nonprofit that researches and supports nationwide juvenile justice reforms. Read more here. #ACCESS2op

California’s overcrowded prisons have become a breeding ground for the coronavirus. The state’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has reported a total of 7,703 confirmed COVID-19 cases in its 35 facilities since the start of the pandemic. California's Little Hoover Commission addressed the state’s overcrowded prisons in a 2014 report, “Sensible Sentencing for a Safer California.” The Commission found that hundreds of laws had been enacted to increase sentencing len