Co-Chairs:
Laura Cordero, Presiding Judge, Drug Court and Mental Health Community Court, DCSC
Barbara Bazron, Director, District of Columbia Department of Behavioral Health
CJCC established the Substance Abuse Treatment and Mental Health Services Integration Taskforce (SATMHSIT) to better serve District of Columbia residents who suffer from substance use disorder, experience mental health challenges, and are involved in the criminal justice system. SATMHSIT was developed to improve the treatment options available to offenders, ex-offenders, and defendants with mental illness and/or co-occurring substance use disorder issues. The goals of SATMHSIT are:
- Increased opportunities and improved capacity for diversion of mentally ill defendants from the criminal justice system.
- Linking citizens returning from incarceration to mental health services and substance abuse treatment. Improvement of aftercare opportunities for District residents with mental health or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders.
- Decrease in recidivism by individuals who successfully complete treatment programs.
Prearrest Diversion Task Force
The purpose of the Prearrest Diversion Task Force is to review and assess best practices around prearrest diversion and to make recommendations for implementing prearrest diversion of certain misdemeanor crimes in the District of Columbia.
Agendas and Minutes:
February 26, 2026 Meeting Agenda
January 28, 2026 Meeting Minutes
January 28, 2026 Meeting Agenda
January 12, 2026 Community Roundtable Summary
December 17, 2025 Meeting Minutes
December 17, 2025 Meeting Agenda
November 20, 2025 Meeting Minutes
November 20, 2025 Meeting Agenda
October 22, 2025 Meeting Minutes
October 22, 2025 Meeting Agenda
September 24, 2025 Meeting Minutes
September 24, 2025 Meeting Agenda
August 27, 2025 Meeting Minutes
August 27, 2025 Meeting Agenda
The following research has been conducted by CJCC either as a request from District partners or as an effort to shed additional light on a specific topic.
- Research in Brief (Vol. 1, Issue 3, 2016): Super-Utilizers in the District of Columbia
- Research in Brief (Vol. 1, Issue 2, 2016): New Psychoactive Substances (Synthetic Drugs)
- Mental Health Information Sharing in the DC Criminal Justice System
- Addressing Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Abuse Disorders in the Criminal Justice System: Guiding Principles and DC Practices
- DC Superior Court Medical Alert Protocol Report
