[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 37 (Wednesday, March 4, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E302]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE JERICHO PROJECT FOR ITS RECEIPT OF THE 2015 INNOVATION IN 
                             JUSTICE AWARD

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                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 4, 2015

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Jericho 
Project for its receipt of the 2015 Innovations in Justice Award for 
approaching criminal justice challenges in a new and effective way. The 
Innovations in Justice Award recipients were selected by the 
Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA) in partnership with the U.S. 
Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the 
Center for Court Innovation.
   The Jericho Project was launched more than a decade ago by the 
Shelby County Public Defender's Office to better serve people living 
with serious mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders who have 
been cycling through the criminal justice system. The main architect, 
Shelby County Chief Public Defender Stephen Bush, my constituent, 
developed the initiative while working as an Assistant Public Defender, 
a position he held for almost 20 years before being appointed as Shelby 
County's 10th Public Defender in 2010.
   Mr. Bush has overseen the development of community linkage plans 
that are presented to courts in support of community-based, alternative 
forms of sentencing. Recovery Support Specialists on the team support 
clients for four months after they are released from prison and help 
them transition to life back in the community. I am proud to say that 
nearly 60 percent of those participating in the Jericho Project have 
successfully completed their recovery plans and have avoided further 
cycling through the criminal justice system.
   What began as a grant-funded experiment has matured into a permanent 
part of Shelby County's efforts to address the needs of some of its 
most vulnerable citizens. The Jericho Project's success has made it a 
national model for how criminal justice systems can better serve those 
struggling to survive with serious mental illnesses.
   The Jericho Project has been changing lives for more than a decade, 
and this recognition is well deserved. I ask the House to join me in 
congratulating the Jericho Project for receiving the 2015 Innovations 
in Justice Award.

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