Information Resources for Justice System

Conversations with Rural Law Enforcement Leaders – Volume 1

Summarizes key focus areas, needs, and recommendations of underrepresented rural and tribal law enforcement leaders in 5 states that were the result of a series of listening sessions with federal agencies. Includes topics such as substance use, mental health, and homelessness; illicit drugs; trafficking from the southern border; relationships with tribes; and funding, among others. Provides individual state summaries and U.S. Department of Justice resources to support local efforts to enhance public safety and reduce crime in rural and tribal areas.

Date: 2020
Sponsors: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office)
Conversations with Rural Law Enforcement Leaders – Volume 2

Summarizes key focus areas, needs, and recommendations of underrepresented rural and tribal law enforcement leaders in 9 states that were the result of a series of listening sessions with federal agencies. Includes topics such as substance use and addiction; mental health and medical care; illegal drug trafficking and related crime; school safety; and funding, among others. Describes ongoing federal responses to rural law enforcement concerns and highlights several best practices and new ideas to support local efforts to enhance public safety and reduce crime in rural and tribal areas.

Date: 2021
Sponsors: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office)
Culturally Responsive Pathways to Peer Programming in Tribal Communities

Provides an overview and history on the use of peer recovery support services (PRSS) in tribal communities to address high rates of substance use and substance use disorders (SUDs). Offers resources and models on best practices for tribes to develop, implement, and sustain PRSS programming. Draws insights from 9 tribal PRSS practitioners to highlight the importance of including Native American culture and traditions into PRSS delivery.

Date: 09/2023
Sponsor: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
Evidence-Based Strategies for Preventing Opioid Overdose: What's Working in the United States

Offers evidence-based opioid overdose prevention practices for community leaders, local and regional organizers, nonprofit groups, law enforcement, public health and other members of the public. Provides summaries of effective strategies to prevent opioid overdose and the context in which they are most effective. Discusses targeted naloxone distribution, including Good Samaritan laws, syringe services programs, criminal justice settings, and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and initiating MAT in emergency departments. Summarizes the major research on each practice and offers examples of organizations that have successfully used the strategies to reduce the risk of overdose.

Date: 2018
Sponsor: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Family Treatment Court Best Practice Standards

Shares best practice standards for family treatment courts (FTCs) for local jurisdictions, states, tribes, and funders. Covers FTC organization and structure; role of judicial leadership; ensuring equity and inclusion; processes for early identification, screening, and assessment; timely and quality substance use disorder (SUD) treatment; comprehensive case management and family support services; therapeutic responses to behavior; and monitoring and evaluation. Includes key considerations for rural and tribal jurisdictions.

Date: 2019
Sponsor: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
Implementing Peer Support Services in Small and Rural Law Enforcement Agencies

Discusses key considerations for small and rural law enforcement agencies seeking to establish and maintain peer support services. Promotes peer support as part of a wellness strategy for police officers dealing with substance use, mental, or physical health issues related to working in a high stress occupation. Provides action steps for peer support program design as well as promising practices and lessons learned from 3 small and rural departments currently utilizing peer support.

Date: 2023
Sponsor: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office)
Law Enforcement Naloxone Toolkit

Serves as a clearinghouse of resources to assist law enforcement agencies across the country in establishing a naloxone program to reduce the harm and number of deaths associated with opioid overdose. Offers information on a range of topics related to operating a naloxone program, including naloxone medication and its role in law enforcement; acquiring and administering naloxone; training law enforcement; liability and risk issues; and collaboration with other agencies and stakeholders. Provides a variety of tools and materials, such as sample documents and templates for data collection forms, training materials, press releases, community outreach materials, and more. Product of the Bureau of Justice Assistance's (BJA) National Training and Technical Assistance Center (NTTAC) funded by a contract through the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Justice Programs (OJP).

Sponsor: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
Mental Health Training: Strategies for Small and Rural Law Enforcement Agencies

Shares strategies to help small or rural law enforcement agencies provide mental health training for their officers. Discusses some challenges small and rural law enforcement agencies can experience when training to provide mental health training.

Date: 05/2022
Sponsor: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Mentoring Program

Describes opportunities and resources related to mentoring, including relevant research, programmatic grants, training and technical assistance, and publications. Aims to increase access to effective mentoring services for youth in hopes of reducing youth substance use, aggression, depression, and criminal behavior while improving self-esteem, academic performance, and peer relationships.

Sponsor: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
Opioid Stewardship in the Indian Health Service (IHS)

Offers comprehensive information and resources on the use of prescription opioids, managing chronic pain, and opioid use disorder (OUD) for patients and providers, specifically for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities and Indian Health Service (IHS) providers. Includes online tools, technical assistance resources, guides, and training for patients and providers on topics such as opioid crisis data, opioid prevention, proper pain management, opioid prescribing/stewardship, culturally appropriate practices, maternal health, harm reduction, naloxone use, child health and wellness, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), tele-MAT, trauma-informed care, best practices, supportive services, wellness courts, and training opportunities. Resource is an initiative of the IHS Alcohol and Substance Abuse Branch (ASAB).

Sponsor: Indian Health Service (IHS)
Planning a Reentry Program a Toolkit for Tribal Communities

Toolkit sharing guidance and resources for tribal justice system practitioners to develop or enhance existing reentry programs for American Indian and Alaska Native populations returning from jail or prison. Covers devolving a planning team; identifying and collaborating with partners; engaging clients; measuring program impact; and more. Includes best practices and program examples for tribal justice system practitioners.

Date: 12/2021
Sponsor: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
Police – Mental Health Collaboration (PMHC) Toolkit

Provides resources support law enforcement agencies in developing police – mental health collaboration (PMHC) programs in which they partner with mental health providers and other community stakeholders to safely and effectively respond to people with mental illness and increase access to services. Offers a PMHC self-assessment tool and modules on key aspects of designing, implementing, and managing a PMHC program that is tailored to meet the unique needs of individual communities.

Sponsor: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
Rural Sheriffs and Judges Workshop Highlights

Video recording sharing highlights from a December 13-14, 2018 workshop in Knoxville, Tennessee attended by rural sheriffs and judges. Workshop hosted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to brainstorm ideas and discuss new methods to address the opioid crisis.

Date: 12/2018
Sponsors: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), USDA Rural Development (USDA RD)
SAMHSA Criminal and Juvenile Justice Programs

Provides an overview of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) efforts to address the challenges incarcerated and justice system-involved individuals face when attempting to seek treatment for and recover from mental illness and substance use disorder (SUD). Seeks to increase access to behavioral health services, minimize costs, and other consequences related to the unnecessary and repetitive incarceration of people with behavioral health issues. Discusses strategies to identify individuals with mental illness and SUD, implement diversion programs, enhancing reentry services, evidence-based practices, screening and assessments, and more.

Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
SAMHSA Crisis Services: Meeting Needs, Saving Lives

Shares national guidelines for behavioral health crisis care best practice toolkit from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and a 2020 technical assistance paper series focused on crisis services. Offers information to support mental health authorities, agency administrators, service providers, and other state and local leaders in the design, development, implementation, and quality improvement of behavioral health crisis systems. Details components of crisis services and best practices, along with tools for implementing and evaluating care that aligns with national guidelines. Addresses key issues related to crisis services, including homelessness, technology advances, substance use, legal issues, financing crisis care, diverse populations, children and adolescents, rural and frontier areas, and the role of law enforcement.

Date: 08/2020
Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Second Chance Act (SCA)

Provides an overview of the Second Chance Act (SCA) grant programs that support state, local, and tribal governments and other nonprofit organization to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for individuals who have been incarcerated. Shares information on the SCA program tracks, success stories, and other opportunities for further assistance. Product of the National Reentry Resource Center funded by a grant through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).

Sponsor: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
Tailoring Crisis Response and Pre-Arrest Diversion Models for Rural Communities

Outlines strategies, technologies, and successful models rural communities can adapt to support crisis response and pre-arrest diversion for individuals with mental health and substance use issues in their communities.

Date: 06/2019
Sponsor: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts: Case Management

Provides guidance to Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts (THWCs) on effective case management practices and the functions of case management in THWC operations. Offers case management models; resources; and information related to ethics, balancing roles, and data collection and evaluation to assist THWCs in developing or revising the role of case managers in their courts.

Date: 05/2018
Sponsor: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts: Intergovernmental Collaboration

Discusses common elements of intergovernmental collaboration, including tribal-state collaborations, intended to assist Tribal Healing to Wellness Courts (THWCs) interested in utilizing collaboration to enhance their court operations. Provides a brief history THWCs, profiles of current collaborations that can serve as models, and shares resources to help new and existing THWCs meet the needs of their communities.

Date: 05/2021
Sponsor: Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)