Particularly in dealing with offenders who have mental health issues, where we see the best success is where there are integrated approaches that involve how the police respond, and community action teams that are in place in different municipalities across this country where there is good and open information sharing between the health and justice sectors.
We see successes through the operations of specialty courts such as mental health courts that bring a specific focus to styles of interventions and supports that are available to people who are suffering from mental health issues but are also in conflict with the law. We also see successes where there is emphasis and focus on building communities of support during all of those transitions between court and corrections, between corrections and back into the community.
We know that building responses and supports around safe and affordable housing is very important to this population. We know that repeated contact with those individuals who are part of that support team is very important, and for many we know that efforts aimed at compliance with medication is very important and key to community success as well.
It's those components that make positive differences.