King County Web Sites

• Seattle Municipal Mental Health Court Web site.

• King County Mental Health Court Index page.
  On February 17, 1999, King County District Court instituted a specialized Mental Health Court. This project was created in order to better serve the community by addressing public safety, reducing criminalization of persons with mental illness, and promoting systems integration. The planning involved key players from across the county using a collaborative approach to create an effective working pilot program. Judge James Cayce led the program from its inception until Judge Mark Chow began his tenure in July of 2000. The foundation of the court has remained the same since it began although some of the daily practices and procedures have shifted to meet the needs of the environment over time. The program's pilot status changed to that of a permanent program after two years and the court continues to operate with the support of the involved systems, clients, families, and community.

• King County Criminal Justice Initiative -- Interim Progress Report, December 2004(67-page Adobe Acrobat document). King County Council adopted the Adult Justice Operational Master Plan (the Plan) in November, 2002, which paved the way for the Criminal Justice Initiative (CJI). The Plan recommended that a portion of the expected savings from the closure of the North Rehabilitation Facility and Cedar Hills Addiction Treatment facility be used for alternatives to 24-hour secure detention in King County correctional facilities. The primary objectives of developing jail alternatives were to reduce both the jail population and recidivism. A particular emphasis was placed on developing services for inmates who are high users of the jail and/or individuals who have substance use disorders and mental illnesses who are not otherwise eligible for service enrollment.

• Mentally Ill Offenders Community Transition Project Report. The stated legislative intent is "to create a pilot program to provide for post release mental health care and housing for a select group of mentally ill offenders entering community living, in order to reduce incarceration costs, increase public safety, and enhance the offender's quality of life." The report focuses on the first three years of implementation, including successes, innovations and challenges, reports preliminary outcomes, and offers some early conclusions and recommendations.

• Seattle Times article dated February 20, 2001 -- Help, not punishment, for mentally ill: King County making a difference.

• Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education -- Mental Health and Criminal Justice: The Growing Mission Interface.

• Human Rights Watch article posted November 5, 2003 -- U.S. Senate Passes Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act.

• Senate Bill S.1194 -- Title: A bill to foster local collaborations which will ensure that resources are effectively and efficiently used within the criminal and juvenile justice systems.

• Human Rights Watch report -- U.S. Prisons and Offenders with Mental Illness.

• Human Rights Watch article posted October 22, 2003 -- United States: Mentally Ill Mistreated in Prison -- More Mentally Ill in Prison Than in Hospitals

• San Francisco Examiner article dated January 15, 2003 -- Mental health court vs. jail.

• Washington Post article posted January 12, 2003 -- -- L.A. County Agrees to Inmate Reforms.

• The Consensus Project -- The Criminal Justice / Mental Health Consensus Project is an unprecedented, national effort coordinated by the Council of State Governments (CSG) to help local, state, and federal policymakers and criminal justice and mental health professionals improve the response to people with mental illness who become involved in, or are at risk of involvement in, the criminal justice system.

• From the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) -- Statement on Criminalization Web page.

• From Bazelon.org, a very comprehensive review article published in 2003 -- The Role of Mental Health Courts in System Reform.

• Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law -- Ending the Criminalization of People With Mental Illnesses.

• From the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) -- Mental Health Courts Resources and Information.

• U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance -- Emerging Judicial Strategies For The Mentally Ill In The Criminal Caseload: Mental Health Courts In Fort Lauderdale, Seattle, San Bernardino, And Anchorage -- Monograph, April 2000.

King County and Washington State Web Sites

• King County Drug Diversion Court Program.

• King County Criminal Justice Initiative -- Interim Progress Report, December 2004(67-page Adobe Acrobat document). King County Council adopted the Adult Justice Operational Master Plan (the Plan) in November, 2002, which paved the way for the Criminal Justice Initiative (CJI). The Plan recommended that a portion of the expected savings from the closure of the North Rehabilitation Facility and Cedar Hills Addiction Treatment facility be used for alternatives to 24-hour secure detention in King County correctional facilities. The primary objectives of developing jail alternatives were to reduce both the jail population and recidivism. A particular emphasis was placed on developing services for inmates who are high users of the jail and/or individuals who have substance use disorders and mental illnesses who are not otherwise eligible for service enrollment.

• King County Drug Diversion Court graduation celebrates program's 7th anniversary.

• Washington Association of Drug Court Professionals.

• Seattle Times article dated November 13, 2002 -- Court program aids drug addicts.

• Seattle P-I Editorial dated March 17, 2002 -- Better late than never: State delivers money for drug treatment.

• Seattle P-I article dated February 6, 2002 -- Drug court: It's turning damaged lives around.

• Seattle P-I article dated January 25, 2002 -- A court where people are winning in the war on drugs.

• National Criminal Justice Reference Service -- Drug Court Page.

• National Association of Drug Court Professionals.

- Best wishes, Ron Sterling M.D. (Seattle, Washington, USA)