New York

Fewer inmates are behind bars in New York on any given day than at any time in the past 24 years, and the number admitted to the city’s jail system has fallen below 100,000 for the first time since 1987.

While the plunge in the city’s crime rate has undoubtedly been a critical factor, a number of other large cities where crime has also fallen have not seen a parallel drop in their jail population.

Instead, steps taken by the city, including special courts to deal with nonviolent offenders and programs to deter former convicts from returning to jail, appear to be bearing fruit.

Article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/nyregion/11jails.html?_r=1

Excerpt: All too often a person with a mental illness cycles in and out of the criminal justice system, never really getting the kind of assistance he or she needs to break the pattern.

They may stop taking their meds, get high on drugs or alcohol, and wind up committing a crime. They are no less culpable for their actions, but they can make better choices, move forward and be less likely to get into trouble, if they plug into the many resources available to them in Genesee County.

So say the proponents of the Mental Health Treatment Court, which is a new division of Batavia City Court. It accepted its first case last June, before being officially designated as a mental health court in November.

http://www.thebatavian.com/blogs/billie-owens/citys-new-mental-health-tr...

The NYC Spiritlawpolitics group will hold a Fall dinner meeting on Wednesday December 9th, at 6PM. Location will be in someone's home and information is available from the organizer.

Prof. Cynthia Alkon posted on the ADR Prof Blog about the race for NY District Attorney, a race among three candidates advocating problem-solving courts!

Excerpt from blog post: http://www.indisputably.org/?p=400