Criminal Justice
Criminal justice programs serve special populations comprised of accused or adjudicated individuals referred from within the criminal justice system who are experiencing behavioral health needs, including alcohol or other drug abuse or addiction, or psychiatric disabilities or disorders. Services can be provided through courts, through probation and parole agencies, in community-based or institutional settings, or in sex offender programs. Institutional settings may include jails, prisons, and detention centers. The services are designed to maximize the person’s ability to function effectively in the community. The criminal justice mandates include community safety needs in all judicial decisions and require that behavioral health programs are aware of the safety requirements of not only the individual, program staff members, and peers, but also the community at large.
Criminal justice educational programs may include either community-based or institution-based educational and training services. Such programs may include personal and interpersonal skills training, conflict resolution, anger management, DUI/DWI education, mental health education, education about alcohol and other drugs, information on criminal thinking patterns, or traditional academic education.