Pretrial, Prosecution, Defense Counsel, and Courts Mentoring Initiative

• NCJ Number: 309986
• Date Published: November 2024
• Length: 2 pages
• Grant Number(s): 15-PBJA-23-GK-02253-COAP
• Agencies: BJA-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)

Annotation

This publication of the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP) introduces the Pretrial, Prosecution, Defense Counsel, and Courts Mentoring Initiative.

Abstract

This brief provides information about the Pretrial, Prosecution, Defense Counsel, and Courts Mentoring Initiative, a mentor-mentee opportunity offered through the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA) Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP). This initiative supports programs, practices, organizations, and jurisdictions focused on diverting justice-involved persons with substance use disorders to community-based treatment or connecting individuals to treatment and support services during the pretrial and court adjudication phases of justice processing. The purposes of the Pretrial, Prosecution, Defense Counsel, and Courts Mentoring Initiative are to promote peer-to-peer learning among organizations that are implementing programs or practices that support individuals intersecting with the criminal justice system post-arrest; disseminate evidence-supported programming, promising approaches, and best practices; and support implementation of pretrial, prosecution, defense counsel, and/or courts practices and programs, in collaboration with community partners. The Pretrial, Prosecution, Defense Counsel, and Courts Mentoring Initiative provides an opportunity for new or early-stage programs to be matched with and learn from experienced practitioners in a structured way. The mentor sites serve as models for individuals and teams interested in starting a new practice or for established programs interested in learning innovative approaches.