Resources: Attorneys and Courts

Provides training and technical assistance to help meet the needs of state, local, and tribal criminal justice practitioners and agencies on a variety of justice topics including adjudication, corrections, crime prevention, justice information sharing, law enforcement, mental health, substance use, tribal justice, and capacity-building.

Provides training and technical assistance to government agencies, justice systems, and communities to plan and implement strategies to reduce recidivism and substance use among justice involved individuals and promote community health and safety. Includes assistance to Second Chance Act and other Office of Justice Programs (OJP) grantees.

Provides training and technical assistance to communities to enhance their ability to respond to individuals in the criminal justice system with mental and/or co-occurring substance use disorders. Focuses on developing and implementing best practices and policies designed to divert people from the criminal justice system and connect them to treatment and other support services.

Provides training and technical assistance to jurisdictions to develop, implement, and expand comprehensive efforts to identify, respond to, treat, and support individuals impacted by the use and misuse of opioids, stimulants, and other substances. Promotes access to treatment and recovery services in the criminal justice system, data collection and sharing, leveraging resources and funding, and efforts to prevent substance misuse.

Offers technical assistance to state and local agencies and organizations to strengthen justice systems, reduce recidivism, and improve policy and practice to increase equity and access to services for behavioral health, housing, education/employment, victim support, and more.

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.

Offers a variety of resources and information to jurisdictions seeking to reduce criminal justice involvement and improve outcomes for individuals with mental health and/or co-occurring substance use disorders. Supports the implementation of best practices, policies, and strategies at every point in the criminal justice system, from pre-arrest through reentry. Provides targeted resources to BJA's Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program and Connect and Protect: Law Enforcement Behavioral Health program grantees and supports other communities in their efforts to enhance crisis responses, connect individuals to treatment and services, and improve public safety.

Provides training and technical assistance to enhance the social and emotional well-being and improve outcomes for children and families impacted by substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders and child abuse or neglect. Supports agencies and professionals in developing policies, procedures, and practices that promote recovery, safety, and stability for children, youth, and parents at risk or currently involved with the justice system and for those who have experienced maltreatment, violence, and other forms of trauma.

Provides training and technical assistance to help state administering agencies (SAAs) and local Criminal Justice Planning Boards (CJPBs) administer Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) grant awards to strengthen state and local criminal justice systems. Offers resources and guidance in a range of areas related to the management and effective use of Byrne JAG funding to address criminal justice and public safety needs.

Provides training and technical assistance to rural, tribal, and underserved communities to address criminal justice, public safety, and other related challenges. Offers customized, culturally appropriate assistance in the areas of tribal justice, law enforcement, child safety, and victim services. Serves as the technical assistance provider for the DOJ's Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) program.

Serves as a central hub for information and resources to support the establishment and operations of all treatment court types, including adult, youth, and veteran treatment courts, and tribal healing to wellness courts. Offers a range of publications, interactive maps, newsletters, podcasts, and other materials to help jurisdictions design and implement new programs; expand and enhance existing programs; and analyze and disseminate program data.

Provides training and technical assistance to organizations and professionals who serve victims of crime. Aims to build the capacity of providers to enhance victim services and identify and reach underserved crime victims. Offers assistance in several focus areas, including human trafficking, mass violence and terrorism, culturally responsive services, vicarious trauma and resiliency, elder fraud, trauma-informed organizations, and more.

Offers technical assistance and resources to OJJDP's Opioid Affected Youth Initiative grantees working to develop and implement interventions to identify, respond to, and support children, youth, and families impacted by opioids and other substance use disorders (SUDs). Supports integrated, strategic approaches to substance use issues and promotes multidisciplinary collaboration between juvenile justice and juvenile court systems, mental and behavioral health services, child welfare, healthcare, and other stakeholders.

Provides free training, education, and technical assistance to increase access for communities to evidence-based practices for opioid use disorder (OUD) and stimulant use prevention, treatment, and recovery services. Connects community members with local consultants and technology specialists who are qualified to implement evidence-based practices.

Summarizes the contents of a 1-day listening session for judges and court personnel from rural communities held in July 2024, focusing on barriers, successes, and innovations to address substance use disorder (SUD) for court-involved people and to identify additional opportunities for courts to support children and families impacted by SUD.

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, enhance reentry services, evidence-based practices, screening and assessments, and more.

Provides subject matter-based training and technical assistance designed for tribes to enhance their practical and specialized knowledge to implement and strengthen their tribal justice system initiatives and interventions.