What is the Coordinated Resources Project?
In 2004 The Alaska Court System established the Palmer Coordinated Resources Project to address the unique needs of misdemeanor offenders with mental health disorders. The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority and the Alaska Court System provided funding for this project. The Coordinated Resources Project (CRP) is a voluntary "therapeutic" or problem-solving" court located within the Palmer District Court that hears cases involving individuals diagnosed with mental disabilities who are charged with misdemeanor offenses and focuses on their treatment and rehabilitation.
What is the Purpose of the CRP?
The court works to divert non-violent offenders with mental disorders away from jail and into appropriate community treatment. The court focuses mainly on the therapeutic needs of the defendant. Mentally disordered defendants who adhere to treatment requirements cycle through jails and psychiatric hospitals far less than those who do not.
Additionally, the CRP acts to:
Who is Eligible?
To be eligible the defendant must: (1) be charged with a misdemeanor crime and not on any type of felony probation, (2) experience a significant mental disorder and is a beneficiary of the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, (3) be eligible for treatment for his/her particular disorder(s) in the community, (4) reside and receive services in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, and (5) agree to voluntarily participate in the treatment oriented court process in lieu of traditional district court criminal case processing.
How are People Referred to the Court?
Any one can refer a person to the CRP. Police, correctional staff, lawyers, friends, family members, community behavioral health providers, judges and court staff can refer a case by simply contacting the Project Coordinator and indicating that a Defendant may be eligible to have their cases heard in the CRP
How Does the CRP Work?
The Court diverts low level misdemeanor offenders with mental disabilities from
jail and into appropriate community treatment, focusing on the individual therapeutic
needs of the defendant.
Collaboration: The Project involves a team of designated and specially trained judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and a case coordinator who consistently participate in court hearings.
Community Treatment: The defendant is eligible to receive assistance from the project in developing coordinating and monitoring an individualize community treatment plan. The court orders the plan as conditions of bail or probation. The coordination and monitoring of community treatment plans is provided by the Department of Corrections CRP Case Coordinator.
Monitoring by the Court: The court, through regularly held status hearings, monitors the defendant's treatment plan. During status hearings, the court hears reports on the defendant's progress in treatment. If treatment non-compliances occur, the court may adjust the plan to motivate compliance or employ non-jail-based sanctions or incarceration for non-compliance.
Contact Information
The PCRP meets on Wednesday afternoons at 2:30 p.m. in the Palmer Courthouse. Judge Greg Heath presides.
Court is open to the public. Specialized tours and training are available by contacting the Project Coordinator at 907 746-8142 or by e mail at khull@courts.state.ak.us
If you are interested in observing court, please call to confirm that court in being held on its regularly scheduled day. The number to call is 907 746-8142.
Link:
Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs publication: Emerging Judicial Strategies for the Mentally Ill in the Criminal Caseload: Mental Health Courts in Fort Lauderdale, Seattle, San Bernadino and Anchorage.
| Rev. 21 November 2007 © Alaska Court System www.state.ak.us/courts |
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