ADVOCACY NEWS FROM NAMI NEW JERSEY:
1. NEW STUN GUN POLICY ANNOUNCED
2. DESPITE ARMY EFFORTS, SOLDIER SUICIDES CONTINUE
3. SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS WON'T INCREASE NEXT YEAR
4. GRANT TO KEEP MENTALLY ILL OUT OF JAIL
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NEW STUN GUN POLICY ANNOUNCED
Attorney General Paula T. Dow has announced a revised policy governing the use of stun guns by law enforcement officers in New Jersey. The new policy continues to restrict use of stun guns, for the most part, to situations where an officer seeks to prevent a suspect from causing death or serious bodily injury to an officer, to another person, or to himself or herself. The policy requires that all officers who carry stun guns receive a course of training on stun guns approved by the Police Training Commission and re-qualify every six months. The course will include training on how to recognize mental illness and deal with an emotionally disturbed person.
Read the Attorney General’s press release:
http://www.nj.gov/oag/newsreleases10/pr20101007c.html
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DESPITE ARMY EFFORTS, SOLDIER SUICIDES CONTINUE
Nearly 20 months after the Army began strengthening its suicide prevention program and working to remove the stigma attached to seeking psychological counseling, the suicide rate among active service members remains high and shows little sign of improvement. Through August, at least 125 active members of the Army had ended their own lives, exceeding the morbid pace of last year, when there were a record 162 suicides. More soldiers are seeking help for psychological problems than ever before — it was the leading reason for hospitalization in the military last year — but that the number needing help has also grown at a rapid pace, a natural consequence of nine years of combat deployments.
Read more in the NY Times (free to register):
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/11/us/11suicides.html?_r=1&emc=eta1
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SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS WON'T INCREASE NEXT YEAR
More than 58 million Americans who receive Social Security benefits will see no cost-of-living increase for the second year in a row, the Social Security Administation said Friday. The announcement had been expected because the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners, one measure of inflation used by the government, didn't increase. House Democrats this week said they will seek to provide a one-time $250 supplemental payment to Social Security recipients to make up for the lack of a cost-of-living increase.
Read more:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704779704575553850474117846.html
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GRANT TO KEEP MENTALLY ILL OUT OF JAIL
Cumberland County picked up a $247,049 federal grant that could help keep mentally ill offenders out of jail when they're arrested for minor offenses. The county's Jail Diversion Task Force applied for the U.S. Department of Justice grant, which will be used to create a "one-stop," coordinated strategy for on-site screening and evaluations of emotionally disturbed suspects. A Crisis Intervention Response Team will provide the one-stop services, accompanying police officers on site.
Read more:
http://www.thedailyjournal.com/article/20101011/NEWS01/10110317/
Grant+to+keep+mentally+ill+out+of+jail
