South Florida Mental Health Court Receives International Award for Innovation by The HiiL Foundation

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Dec. 19, 2013 - PRLog -- Judge Lerner-Wren, pioneer of The Broward County Mental Health Court, was named a Top 3 Finalist for the 2013 "Successful Innovation" Award presented by The HiiL Foundation. The Innovating Justice Awards Challenge is an annual recognition of The HiiL Foundation, an International Law Platform and laboratory for International Justice and Rule of Law Innovations, in The Hague, The Netherlands.

The criteria for The Successful Innovation Award is based upon originality, sustainability and scalability.

Broward's specialized Mental Health Court was the first of its kind in the U.S. dedicated to the decriminalization of persons arrested with serious mental illness for misdemeanor offenses. The Court is deemed a human rights strategy and hailed for its swift jail diversion to break arrest cycles and promote humane access to community treatment and services.

The Court relies on a therapeutic and evidence-based restorative justice approach. The Court is supported by an expert clinical team and dedicated mental health/criminal justice community collaborative. Since its inception, this part time, voluntary court has diverted more than 16,000 persons from the Broward County Jail and served as a model for Federal Legislation in 2000 (The Mental Health and Law Enforcement Act- SB 8651).

“Our court has been widely replicated across the U.S. and globally,” said Judge Wren. “It has been observed by delegations and journalists worldwide. In 2003, Human Rights recommended it as a preventative strategy to further criminalization and it has been hailed as a groundbreaking court innovation. To date, there are more than 250 Mental Health Courts in the U.S. and serves as a model for subsequent therapeutic Veteran's Courts and related diversionary problem solving justice strategies.”

About Judge Ginger Lerner Wren
Browardmentalhealthcourt.info (http://www.browardmentalhealthcourt.info/)
Judge Ginger Lerner Wren is a County Judge, (Broward County, Florida) and former member, President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. Judge Lerner-Wren is participating in this Awards Challenge. Judge Lerner-Wren can be reached at Jwren@17th.flcourts.org.

For additional information on the HiiL Innovating Justice Award
www.innovatingjustice.com/awards/2013/successful-innovations

For additional information Judge Wren’s Award-winning Program
www.innovatingjustice.com/innovations/therapeutic-court-screening-mental-health