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Today at Miami Community News Robert Asencio and David Magnusson had the distinct honor of hosting Judge Steve Leifman , Associate Administrative Judge, 11th Circuit Court, for the fourth episode of “The Silent Struggle.”
Judge Leifma
n has been at the forefront in criminal justice reform addressing mental health. He is the co-chair of the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Mental Health Committee as well as the co-chair of the Judges and Psychiatrists Leadership Initiative.
The information Judge Leifman brought to today’s episode was incredibly sobering while at the same time promising and optimistic. Atlantic Magazine’s documentary “Definition of Insanity.” (https://doifilm.com) showcases much of what Judge Leifman has accomplished. In one segment of the video, President Kennedy talked about the issues Judge Leifman tackled forty years later. Said JFK, society “have to offer something more than crowded custodial care.”
Discussions continued about the successes the Judge Leifman’s Criminal Mental Health Project to include the CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) modeled after the origin model that came out of Memphis, Tennessee. These are police officers trained to respond to calls involving mental health crises. De-escalation is the paramount key to success. And the numbers don’t lie. Statistically, recidivism rates are low for those who go through the program of jail diversion. Additionally, with the advent of the CIT, police shootings declined greatly.
The discussion transitioned into Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the effect it has on law enforcement personnel. The bottom line remains that seeking help is a strength, not a weakness.
A most important episode awaits.
