Brooklyn Mental Health Court

Court

Our Impact

  • 46% reduction in the likelihood of a rearrest for participants versus a comparison group

  • 29% reduction in the likelihood of a reconviction for participants versus a comparison group

  • 84% of active participants in compliance with court mandates

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News

  • NYC Finds a Way to Balance Mental Illness and Criminal Justice

    New York Daily News

    A look into a participant's journey with a specialty mental health court is bolstered by Center data from the Brooklyn Mental Health Court, showing that participants are 46% less likely to be arrested than their peers in criminal court and 29% less likely to be convicted. Despite limited resources, Judge Matthew D’Emic has presided over the borough’s mental health court for 21 years and stretches resources to accommodate 300 participants at a time.

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Partners

The Brooklyn Mental Health Court has been developed as a joint project of the New York State Unified Court System, the New York State Office of Mental Health, and the Center for Justice Innovation. Other government and nonprofit partners involved in planning the Mental Health Court include the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, the Legal Aid Society, the Brooklyn Defenders Service and numerous representatives of the mental health treatment community. The New York Community Trust, the United Hospital Fund and the Ittleson Foundation have also provided support for this project.

Related Areas of Focus

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