Nevada Judiciary

An estimated 24 percent of Nevada's 12,800 prison inmates suffer from mental illness or are developmentally disabled, increasing the costs of incarceration, according to the Nevada Department of Corrections.

As a result of the selection of Nevada by the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center to participate in the Chief Justices' Criminal Justice/Mental Health Leadership Initiative, a statewide task force will be established with Nevada Supreme Court Chief Justice William Maupin as its chair.

The task force will receive technical assistance, access to leading national experts, and a small amount of funding support. The CSG Justice Center will also convene a two-day national policy forum for the seven states in the spring.

The Supreme Court's application for the grant noted that the high percentage of mentally ill in the prison system "leads to the conclusion that the criminal justice system has become the frontline for government in dealing with individuals suffering from mental illness."

Chief Justice Maupin was instrumental in Nevada being selected for the project.

"Nevada's courts are routinely being asked to process criminal cases involving persons with mental illnesses," said Chief Justice Maupin. "Our three Mental Health Courts have proven to be very effective in helping defendants address their mental issues, but they can handle only a tiny percentage of those cases."

He was referring to the Mental Health Court established in Clark and Washoe Counties and Carson City.

"The frequency with which these people cycle through our courts, jails, and prisons has significant implications for the administration of our judicial system, as well as public safety and governmental spending generally," Chief Justice Maupin said.

"Many mental health issues might be addressed more efficiently and cost effectively through other departments before situations deteriorate to the point where the courts must get involved," Chief Justice Maupin said.

The creation of the task force will provide Nevada's first opportunity to bring judges, government officials, legislators, advocates, and consumers together to assess the criminal justice and mental health systems' responses to mentally ill offenders.

Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie stated, "I believe this task force can have a profound impact on the mentally ill and the criminal justice system."

"We know that far too many mentally ill people are in our jails and prisons," she said. "They need treatment and assistance to successfully reintegrate into their communities upon their release, and avoid re-offending."

"This task force will help our state focus on this population and their special needs, and work together to develop a more comprehensive plan for preventing the criminalization of the mentally ill," Assemblywoman Leslie said.

The CSG Justice Center solicited applications from chief justices across the country interested in establishing a statewide task force about the impact of mental health issues on the criminal justice system. Twenty-three states submitted applications and seven were selected.

Evelyn Stratton, Associate Justice of the Ohio State Supreme Court and co-chair of the advisory board that reviewed the applications, congratulated leaders in Nevada. She stated: "The application process was very competitive. The states selected had to demonstrate that they had engaged legislative and executive branch leaders, and that their task force had the potential to yield a viable, comprehensive plan. Nevada clearly demonstrated the broad base of leadership necessary to make the plan successful, and we look forward to working with the state in the upcoming year."

According to a 2006 report by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, nearly a quarter of both state prisoners and jail inmates who reported they had a mental health problem had served three or more prior sentences to incarceration.

A 2004 survey in Nevada found that 42 percent of the 55,000 individuals identified as severely mentally ill were not receiving services.

"Improving outcomes for people with mental illness involved in the criminal justice system requires extensive collaboration among leaders in the judiciary, the legislature, and the administrators of multiple state agencies," said Mass. Rep. Mike Festa and Chair of the Justice Center Board of Directors, "We established this initiative because in many states, a state supreme court's chief justice is uniquely positioned to convene and lead a multi-branch discussion on this issue that leads to real, meaningful action."

The Council of State Governments Justice Center is a national nonprofit organization that serves policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels from all branches of government. The Justice Center provides practical, nonpartisan advice and consensus driven strategies, informed by available evidence, to increase public safety and strengthen communities. This project is coordinated through the Judges' Criminal Justice ,/ ,Mental Health Leadership Initiative, managed by the Justice Center in partnership with the National GAINS Center. The support to the state task forces is made possible through grants awarded from the JEHT Foundation and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Funding support for the planning phases of this project was provided by the U.S. Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health System Administration.

For more information on the Judges' Criminal Justic/Mental Health Leadership Initiative, please visit http://consensusproject.org/JLI.