Stepping Up initiative reaches key milestone
Key Takeaways
My Fellow Elected County Officials,
More than 300 counties — 10 percent of the nation’s counties — have passed resolutions to join Stepping Up, a national initiative to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in jails. Counties are at the forefront of this issue: We run 91 percent of local jails and invest $176 billion in justice, health and human services every year.
NACo, the Council of State Governments Justice Center and the American Psychiatric Association Foundation started the initiative to elevate this issue to the national level and help counties change the way we treat people with mental illnesses who come into contact with the justice system.
My home of Leon County, Fla., passed a Stepping Up resolution committing to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in our jail and to share lessons learned with other counties within our state and nationwide. I encourage your county to do the same.
You can find a template resolution and more resources at www.StepUpTogether.org. Once you pass a resolution, please submit it to nwalsh@naco.org to be included in the initiative.
More than 2 million people with serious mental illnesses are booked into county jails each year, and most also have substance use disorders. The unnecessary incarceration of people with mental illnesses impacts jail populations, county budgets and public safety.
Most importantly, it impacts our families, friends, neighbors and constituents. The time to act is now.
Join me in passing a resolution to be part of the Stepping Up initiative today. Find out more at: www.StepUpTogether.org.
Bryan Desloge,
NACo President
Commissioner, Leon County, Fla.
Featured Initiative
The Stepping Up Initiative
The Stepping Up Initiative is a data-driven framework that aims to reduce the overincarceration of people with mental illnesses in jails through training, resources, and support that are tailored to local needs.
Related News
Information-sharing bill could protect court workers
The Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act could provide more than 30,000 state and local judges with access to security assessments, best practices and a database of threats made against colleagues in the justice field.
California counties fight agricultural crime
Sheriffs' offices and prosecutors in California's central valley make specific efforts to prevent and prosecute crimes against the agricultural community.
After historic winter storms, counties assess response
Counties in states that rarely receive much winter weather are assessing their responses to the January storm that left many covered in snow and ice.