The Dane County Office of Justice Reform and the Dane County Community Justice Council have secured two national grants to enhance the effectiveness, safety, and equity of the criminal justice system.
The county was awarded a technical assistance grant to develop integrated strategies for identifying and addressing the needs of justice-involved adults with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. As part of this effort, key agency leaders, staff, and peer advocates from Dane County’s behavioral health, substance use, housing, EMS, and criminal justice departments will participate in the Sequential Intercept Model training, led by Policy Research Inc. in Troy, New York, in early summer 2025. This workshop is designed to help communities identify existing resources, pinpoint service gaps, and improve coordination and communication among mental health, substance use, and criminal justice professionals.
Dane County has also been selected for the 2025 Housing Justice Peer Network. This 16-month initiative is supported by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It brings together housing and criminal justice stakeholders from various jurisdictions to strengthen partnerships and initiatives aimed at increasing housing access for justice-involved individuals.
The Center for Justice Innovation, in collaboration with the Housing Solutions Lab at the NYU Furman Center, will offer peer learning, technical assistance, and policy guidance to participating agencies.
