COUNCIL FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
Panel discussion
Race , mental health and the criminal justice system
By JAY CASTLE Council for Diversity & Inclusion Programs Chair
On January 25 , the Sarasota
County Bar Association through its Council for Diversity & Inclusion hosted an important panel discussion on the intersection of race , mental health , and the criminal justice system . We sought to facilitate a dialogue between SCBA members and Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman , community psychiatrist Dr . Janet Taylor , and Miami-Dade County Court Criminal Division Judge Steven Leifman .
Although they come from different perspectives and disciplines , it was notable our panel of recognized experts largely agreed about the problems as well as potential solutions .
We learned about the unique challenges mentally ill defendants face in the criminal justice system
Jay Castle Council for Diversity & Inclusion Programs Chair
A message from Karimu Hill-Harvey , Chairperson of the SCBA Council for Diversity and Inclusion :
WE THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE
this historic moment and to salute our country ’ s new Vice President , Kamala Harris — the first woman , the first Black woman , and the first South Asian woman — to hold that office . We also salute Justice Sonia Sotomayor , who administered the oath of office to Vice President Harris . Justice Sotomayor is the first Latina Supreme Court justice . Setting aside political partisanship for just a moment , we believe truly that this should give EVERYONE hope . We can now SEE and HEAR what we might become as a nation as we continue our pursuit of a more perfect Union . My granddaughter and her friends now see and hear diverse women in positions of great power and responsibility . Vice President Harris and Justice Sotomayor inspire them to dream and to achieve . We will continue the hard work of justice for all , but for now , we hope you will join us in celebrating this historic achievement .
as well as the challenges the system must tackle in addressing these people . Dr . Taylor explored in detail many of those problems while Sheriff Hoffman provided an update on the measures the SCSO takes to mitigate those problems from both systemic and individual standpoints .
The experts further acknowledged the extraordinary impacts the COVID19 pandemic has had on those suffering mental illness along with some early indicators the global effect of these impacts may soon overwhelm already-stretched systems .
They considered these challenges in conjunction with problems already presented by the “ dual diagnosis ” epidemic of mental illness and opioid and / or methamphetamine addiction in Sarasota and across the State of Florida . Of course , the impacts of both the COVID19 pandemic and the addiction epidemic have been felt at higher levels in mentally ill members of disadvantaged communities .
The panelists agreed there are no easy answers . Much of their discussion centered on the allocation of limited financial and human resources . Sheriff Hoffman suggested several solutions such as bifurcating the process in triaging & responding to incidents and diverting mental health-related cases to care providers instead of law enforcement .
Chair Judge Karimu Hill- Harvey
Chair-Elect Ilyas Sayeg
Secretary Lisa Gallagher
Treasurer Colton Castro
Dr . Taylor noted there is an education-gap facing members of disadvantaged communities when it comes to understanding mental health care . She also explained institutional racism may be a significant hurdle to real progress .
“ The taxpayer wins if you do this right , the individual [ defendant ] wins , everybody wins , you just have to be smart about it .”
— Judge Steven Leifman
Finally , Judge Leifman recommended our community convene a summit meeting of decision makers to map out the connections between criminal justice and mental health , identify existing gaps , and work to reallocate existing resources to better tackle these issues . He described the initiatives he spearheaded in Miami-Dade and the improvements that have occurred because of that work .
To that end , the CDI is exploring the feasibility of this idea and the role the SCBA might play in facilitating such a meeting . As a result of our hosting this event , the SCBA may help to bring about important change in an area that cries out for better solutions . If you have thoughts about this potential initiative , please let us know .
CDI Board of Directors 2020 – 2021 DIRECTORS Jay Castle Warren Chin Cathi Carson-Freymann David Fugett Adria Jensen Lisa Kleinberg Alexis Rosenberg Rudy Vazmina Tamara Williams
ADVISORY BOARD Judge Rochelle Curley Judge David Denkin Keith DuBose Charlie Ann Syprett Scott Westheimer Judge Charles Williams
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