HEALTH & JUSTICE IN THE NEWS
Date: June 8, 2017
TASC in the News
Study Notes Effectiveness of Kane Co. Pre-Trial Diversion Program
Geneva Patch, 6/6/17
The Kane County State's Attorney's Office is noted in a recent report for its study on the effectiveness of pretrial diversion programs. The recently released report, No Entry: A Survey of Prosecutorial Diversion in Illinois, is the result of a survey of all Illinois state's attorney's offices. The survey was conducted by Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities' Center for Health and Justice. The report summarizes TASC's findings as it provides a brief look at the state of prosecutorial diversion in Illinois to share information about practices and innovations that could lead to cost savings, improved public safety and health, according to the news release. The TASC report analyzed responses from 54 prosecutorial diversion programs in 37 Illinois counties, including Kane.
TOMORROW: Webinar-Alternatives to Incarceration for Individuals with Substance Use Disorders
Addiction Policy Forum
This webinar explores the evolution of Alternatives to Incarceration efforts, with a specific focus on the latest crisis facing our criminal justice and public health systems: The Opioid Overdose crisis. We will look at several models of police and prosecutorial diversion/deflection that have proven to be effective in the battle against this crisis. The webinar will be presented by Phillip Barbour, master trainer, Ben Ekelund, administrator of consulting and training, and Jac Charlier, national director for justice Initiatives, all from the Center for Health and Justice at Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities (TASC).
http://www.addictionpolicy.org/single-post/2017/05/24/Webinar-Alternatives-to-Incarceration-for-Individuals-with-Substance-Use-Disorders
Around the Nation
Senate GOP Aiming for Vote This Month on Health Legislation
ABC News | AP, 6/5/17
Senate GOP leaders plan to vote as soon as this month on major health care legislation even though they remain uncertain, for now, whether their still-unwritten bill will pass, lawmakers said Monday. The House narrowly passed its own version of legislation to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama's health care law last month. Senate Republicans have rejected the House bill but have struggled to come to agreement on a version of their own. But now, with pressing budget deadlines looming and President Donald Trump eager to focus on tax legislation, Senate GOP leaders have decided it's time to vote and move on.
House Obamacare repeal ruled to be in compliance with Senate rules
Politico, 6/6/17
The House-passed health care bill complies with Senate rules, Republicans said Tuesday, clearing an important procedural hurdle that otherwise could have halted the Obamacare repeal process. The Senate Budget Committee made the announcement Tuesday. The news means the House can send the repeal bill over to the Senate. Senate Republicans plan to write their own bill, but they needed the House bill to comply with complex budget reconciliation rules that would allow the bill to pass the Senate with 51 votes, rather than the typical 60-vote threshold, ensuring Democratic support is not needed.
Lawmakers Consider Tough New Penalties For Opioid Crimes, Bucking Trend
NPR, 6/6/17
Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, who both supported a cut-back on some drug punishments, are now preparing a bill that would create tough new penalties for people caught with synthetic opioid drugs. Grassley chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Feinstein is the panel's ranking member. Michael Collins of the Drug Policy Alliance has seen language in the proposal. He said he thinks it's a bad idea. "These synthetic drugs are added to heroin often outside the U.S., but the bill takes such a broad approach that it's penalizing individuals who sell drugs at a low level inside the U.S., and so it's going to do nothing to deter and stop the supply of drugs," Collins said. Collins said drug addiction is a public health challenge. He said sending more people to prison won't help, just as it didn't help in the crack cocaine era a few decades ago. http://www.npr.org/2017/06/06/531787093/lawmakers-consider-tough-new-penalties-for-opioid-crimes-bucking-trend
21 Senators Weigh in to Support CARA Funding
Addiction Policy Forum, 6/7/17
Twenty-one U.S. Senators signed on to a letter in support of funding for the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA). Addressed to key appropriator in charge of agency funding decisions critical to addiction resources, the bipartisan letter signifies continued congressional support of CARA and a comprehensive response.
A Federal Judge Says Mandatory Minimum Sentences Often Don't Fit The Crime
NPR, 6/1/17
NPR's Rachel Martin speaks to federal Judge Mark Bennett of Iowa, who opposes mandatory minimum charging and sentencing guidelines for nonviolent drug offenses.
Hostility To Asset Forfeiture Growing On Supreme Court
The Daily Caller, 6/5/17
The Supreme Court narrowed the scope of criminal asset forfeiture on Monday, finding that government officials cannot force individuals involved in a criminal conspiracy to forfeit proceeds they did not obtain. Though the ruling only restricts one dimension of the modern forfeiture regime, the justices writings during this term suggest a growing hostility to current forfeiture practices.
Opioid Overdoses Overwhelm South Florida's Addiction Centers
NPR | WLRN, 6/6/17
Treating addiction is big business in Florida. But some communities, overwhelmed by overdoses, are sending a message to the rest of America: Don't send people here for drug treatment. South Florida drug treatment providers have recently pleaded guilty to charges including health care fraud, money laundering, sex trafficking and kickback schemes. Palm Beach County created its own task force to try to clean up the industry. And lawmakers are trying to strengthen lax oversight. Sidney Goodman is the founder of Caron Renaissance, one of the oldest and most respected drug treatment providers in the region. "A lot of folks taking advantage of the fact that in Florida, there's really excellent access to care. There's so many treatment facilities. But on the other hand, the looseness of those regulations leads some to, frankly, put the economics of making money in front of quality clinical care," said Goodman.
Hospitals Are Partnering With Lawyers To Treat Patients' Legal Needs
NPR, 6/6/17
As health care systems continue to shift toward becoming comprehensive medical homes for patients, health care providers are increasingly incorporating lawyers into the team of professionals who are on hand to help with legal issues at no additional charge to patients. The pairing makes sense in many ways. Legal issues all too often can cascade into problems with bad medical outcomes. Lawyers might file for an order of protection from a violent spouse, help appeal an insurance claim denial or get involved in child custody, guardianship or power of attorney issues.
6 More Overdoses May Be Tied To 'Fake Percocet,' Georgia Officials Say
Atlanta Patch, 6/7/17
After four people died and a dozen were sickened in a two-day period this week, six more overdose cases are being investigated by the Georgia Department of Public Health, the agency said Wednesday. State officials continue to investigate a wave of presumed opioid overdoses linked to the fatalities and mass hospitalizations in Middle and South Georgia.
Ohio Gives Prescribing Power to Some Psychologists (Illinois mentioned)
American Psychological Association, 6/2017
In April, Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter signed into law legislation that authorizes clinical psychologists with advanced specialized training to prescribe certain medications for the treatment of mental health disorders, thereby improving access to a wide range of mental health services, particularly in poorly served areas. The move brings to five the number of states that grant prescription privileges for psychologists. The other states are Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana and New Mexico.
Around Illinois
lllinois lawmakers preempt potential denial of pre-existing conditions
Illinois News Network, 6/7/17
Illinois lawmakers are getting out ahead of the possibility that Congress may allow health insurance companies to turn away people with pre-existing conditions. But some say it jumps the gun because they don't know what will happen. State Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston, said the bill he sponsored would ensure people with pre-existing conditions are taken care of, regardless of what kind of Obamacare reform is passed in Washington. "It guarantees that health insurance companies in Illinois may not discriminate based on pre-existing conditions in determining whom to give a health policy to," he said. The bill has passed both houses of the Illinois General Assembly.
Madison County's 'Behind the Walls' drug prevention program shapes up
The Alton Telegraph, 6/5/17
Many people who are addicted to drugs die after release from the Madison County Jail because they begin using opioid drugs at the same level they were when they were jailed, backers of a new "Behind the Walls" program said. "We've had parents calling to beg us not to release their child because they might start using again and overdose. The Madison County Jail has become a detox center, but it is not a place to detox," said Circuit Judge Kyle Napp, the presiding judge of the Madison County Drug Court. She said the new "Behind the Walls" program is aimed at reducing overdose deaths, treating addiction, and reducing the jail population. The program involves injections of a drug, Vivitrol, a medication used to treat opioid and alcohol addiction that slowly releases over a 30-day period. Participants will be able to continue to receive the injections and participate in substance use treatment after they are released from jail.
Will County seeks to help incarcerated people with drug addictions
Chicago Tribune | Daily Southtown, 6/7/17
The Will County court system plans to partner with the Family Guidance Center of Joliet to help people held at the jail who are addicted to heroin. Chief Judge Richard Schoenstedt told the county board's Judicial Committee Tuesday that the non-profit guidance center has been given a $540,000 federal grant due to the county's high number of heroin deaths. So far, there have been 27 heroin-related deaths in Will County this year, according to the Will County Coroner's office. The county's jail holds an average of 750 people on a daily basis and "100 or more" have substance abuse issues," Schoenstedt said. Under a new program, staff from Family Guidance would go in to the jail to see who was interested in participating in a program that would combine the use of Vivitrol, a drug to reduce opioid cravings, with a counseling program, he said. The chief judge hopes to launch the program July 1.
Dixon Safe Passage applies for grant to expand staff, outreach
SaukValley.com, 6/7/17
The Safe Passage Initiative is aiming to land a $75,000 grant to increase its staff and outreach with continuing efforts to put people addicted to opioids into recovery rather than behind bars. Dixon Police Chief Danny Langloss said the grant, administered by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, would pay for five part-time employees - a program coordinator and four recovery coaches. The positions would be focused on providing support and keeping better track of participants post-rehab. The Safe Passage program is the second of its kind in the nation and has put 165 people into treatment since launching in Lee County on Sept. 1, 2015. About 40 of those are from Whiteside County, which joined the program March 1, 2016, and roughly 30 have come from Ogle, Bureau, DeKalb and Stephenson counties, Langloss said.
Kane and Cook County officials discuss mental illness and the criminal justice system
The Daily Herald, 6/7/17
With state and federal mental illness funding being slashed, it's important for local leaders to work together to ensure that people charged with nonviolent offenses have treatment options instead of a one-size-fits all prison sentence, law enforcement officials said Wednesday at the Kane County Bar Association's continuing education program, "Mental Illness and Its Path Through the Criminal Justice System: Challenges and Solutions." Speakers included Kane County Sheriff Donald Kramer, Kane County Judge Clint Hull, Kane County Public Defender Kelli Childress, and Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart.
Cook County Jail teaches gardening, social skills
Fox32, 6/5/17
An increasing number of people held at the Cook County Jail are getting the chance to see whether they've got a green thumb. They've planted gardens this spring, and the county is reaping the benefits. The jail's "urban farming initiative" gives participants the chance to learn some skills they can use when they're released, including social skills. One participant said he spent months in jail just sitting on his bed reading, until getting the chance to work the farming initiative. "I just love the fact that we're not stuck inside the cell all day. We can come outside and get some fresh air," he said. Weather permitting, the gardeners work outside for five hours a day, starting at 7:30 a.m. The produce and flowers grown here are sold to restaurants and also at the Daley Center farmer's market. The program once brought in $500 a year. It now brings in over $14k. Sheriff Tom Dart wants the initiative to keep on growing. "To be honest with you, every green area here, I want to be planting something, and I want to be bringing money into this place," Dart said.
McLean County Chief Public Defender Appointed to State Criminal Justice Authority
CentralILProud.com, 6/2/17
Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed McLean County Chief Public Defender Carla Barnes to the Illinois Criminal Justice Authority. Barnes has been with the office since 2002, and was named Chief Public Defender back in 2014.
Research, Reports, and Studies
GOP Medicaid Cuts Hit Rural America Hardest, Report Finds
U.S. News & World Report | KHN, 6/7/17
Rural America carried President Donald Trump to his election night upset last November. Trump Country it may be, but rural counties and small towns also make up Medicaid Country - those parts of the nation whose low-income children and families are most dependent on the federal-state health insurance program, according to a report released Wednesday. Medicaid's enrollment has swollen to more than 72 million in recent years, and the ranks of uninsured Americans has fallen to 9 percent in 2015 from 13 percent in 2013. That's largely due to the Affordable Care Act, which allowed states to expand Medicaid eligibility with federal funds. Those gains may be in jeopardy under a GOP- and White House-backed health care measure called the American Health Care Act that would replace major parts of the ACA - known as Obamacare - and dramatically cut federal funding for Medicaid. The House passed the bill in May.
America is a world leader in health inequality
The Washington Post, 6/5/17
The divide between health outcomes for the richest and poorest Americans is among the largest in the world, according to a new study. Of people in households making less than $22,500 a year, 38 percent reported being in poor or fair health in a survey taken between 2011 and 2013. That's more than three times the rate of health troubles faced by individuals in households making more than $47,700 a year, where only 12 percent of people reported being in poor to fair health, according to the findings published in Health Affairs. While wealthy people around the world generally have better health outcomes than their fellow low-income citizens, the gap in the United States was among the world's largest.
The US spends a troubling amount of money on prisons compared to schools
Business Insider | Reuters, 7/7/17
U.S. state and local spending on prisons and jails grew at three times the rate of spending on schools over the last 33 years as the number of Americans behind bars ballooned under a spate of harsh sentencing laws, a government report released Thursday said. U.S. Secretary of Education John King said the report's stark numbers should make state and local governments reevaluate their spending priorities and channel more money toward education.
Cuts In Federal Housing Help Would Hurt People's Health, Research Suggests
Kaiser Health News, 6/5/17
Does investing in public housing keep people healthier? New research explores this question. The study, published Monday in the journal Health Affairs, found that receiving housing assistance from the federal government - through vouchers, public housing and subsidies for so-called multifamily homes - also increased people's likelihood of having health insurance and access to regular care. These findings add to a growing body of evidence that suggests stable housing - in particular, the kind of federal housing assistance now on the chopping block - could help its recipients better manage their health.
Health & Justice in the News
is a summary of recent news stories relating to criminal justice, mental health, addiction, recovery, and related issues. It is compiled and published by TASC each Monday and Thursday.
Some headlines and text have been altered by TASC for clarity or emphasis, or to minimize discriminatory or stigmatizing language. Opinions in the articles and op-eds do not necessarily express the views of TASC or our staff or partners.
