Sozosei Foundation Updates
IN THE NEWS
Resources for Learning and Involvement
At our 2020 Summit, registrants and participants shared varied and rich resources about the field of decriminalizing mental illness. Sozosei is honored to share those resources here. If you have a resource you wish to share, please email us at [email protected]
Together, we can start to mitigate the devastating consequences of treating mental illness as if it is a crime. In so doing, we must acknowledge and respond to the policies that created our current challenges, and the societal implications of those policies. Resources illuminating the issue, including research and advocacy efforts, are listed below and organized by topic.
2021 Sozosei Summit Mural
During the 2nd Annual Sozosei Summit to Decriminalize Mental Illness, in-person and virtual participants collaborated to create a visual representation of a future where mental illness is not a crime. Mural Arts Philadelphia designer, Nicole Medina, assembled these visual ideas into a mural that will be displayed in the City of Philadelphia in 2022. View the the final mural design by visiting the link below.
Behavioral Health Call Centers and 988 Implementation
A new NRI report highlights the experiences of 43 state Mental Health Agencies in working with state-funded Behavioral Health Crisis Call Centers as they prepare for the implementation of 988—the three-digit number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline that must be live by July 16, 2022.
From Harm to Health: Centering Racial Equity and Lived Experience in Mental Health Crisis Response
From Harm to Health offers a holistic and comprehensive framework to transform how we address mental health emergencies - from a reactive system driven by public safety goals and procedures, to a preventative, health-first approach that centers racial equity, lived experience, systemic challenges, and cultural competency.
The Journal of Women and Criminal Justice
The mission of The Journal is to amplify the voices of court-involved women, to provide a chronicle of their journey, and to engage the public in supporting systemic change. This inaugural issue highlights the inadequacies of women’s prison healthcare.
Revolving door of mental illness can lead to jail — but does it have to?
Local mental health advocates talk about role of law enforcement.
The People’s Commission to Decriminalize Maryland was established in 2019 with the purpose of reducing the disparate impact of the justice system on Marylanders who have been historically targeted and marginalized by local and state criminal and juvenile laws based on their race, gender, disability, or socio-economic status.
The Lockdown Inside the Lockdown
COVID-19 and severe isolation have created a mental health crisis for incarcerated youth
Suicide Among Black Girls Is a Mental Health Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight
Data-Driven Justice: Disrupting the Cycle of Incarceration
Every year, about 11 million people move through America’s 3,100 local jails, many on low-level, non-violent misdemeanors. Many of the people in county and other local jails have behavioral health conditions that impact their quality of life, including mental illnesses and substance use disorders.
Stepping Up asks communities to come together to develop an action plan that can be used to achieve measurable impact in local criminal justice systems of all sizes across the country.