Advancing Equity at the Intersection of Race, Mental Illness, and Criminal Justice Involvement
Mental illness and racial inequity are prevalent within the criminal justice system. This book provides key concepts necessary for attorneys to develop their own personal equity framework and approaches to their legal practice.
Deanna Adams supervises the Behavioral Health and Collaborative Justice Unit within the Criminal Justice Services department of the Judicial Council of California, the policymaking body of California's judicial branch. She oversees staff and projects focused on collaborative courts, mental health diversion, competency to stand trial, and other areas related to behavioral health needs of people moving through adult criminal courts. Prior to this role, she was with the Council of State Governments Justice Center, the Chief Probation Officers of California, and worked directly with people moving through the justice system. Deanna is appointed to the City of Sacramento Ethics Commission, sits on the Board of Directors for the Forensic Mental Health Association of California, and is vice chair of the ABA Criminal Justice Section's Alternatives to Incarceration and Diversion Committee. She currently lives in Sacramento, California.
