WASHINGTON, DC — The National Association of Counties (NACo) and the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) recently announced the formation of a joint task force to reduce jail inmate recidivism through continuity of health care services.Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian, who has been a leading voice in both the local and national discussions regarding the intersection of behavioral health and the criminal justice system, has been selected to serve on the task force.The task force, made up of NACo and NSA members representing county leaders, law enforcement, judges, prosecutors, public defenders, behavioral health and veterans’ services, will explore the impacts of the national mental and behavioral health crisis and the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy (MIEP), which strips federal health and veterans’ benefits from individuals upon admission to jail – not upon conviction – leading to increased recidivism.“Stripping federal health benefits from those jailed but not convicted, and are presumed innocent, is a violation of their constitutional rights,” said NACo Executive Director Matthew Chase. “By providing continuity of health care to those most in need, counties can help break the cycle of recidivism exacerbated by untreated physical and mental illnesses and substance use disorders.”“This task force will work tirelessly to remove the roadblocks people face in getting the care they need,” said NSA Executive Director and CEO Jonathan Thompson. “These experienced people will fix this problem and help the thousands of mentally ill citizens trapped in Americas’ jail without the proper care.” Members of the new task force will explore the impacts of existing federal policies on recidivism and health outcomes of local jail inmates. A focus will be placed on those individuals suffering from mental health, substance use disorders and/or other chronic health illnesses.An issue plaguing sheriffs and jails throughout the United States is that of the increasing number of inmates with substance abuse and co-occurring disorders. Due to the lack of community resources, jails have become the de-facto mental health hospitals and treatment facilities and have assumed the liability as well. Across the nation, there is growing reliance on local jails to serve as “one-stop” treatment centers for these afflictions. Under current law, those who can afford bail keep their health care while those unable to pay – who are most susceptible to illness – face a gap in coverage. Research shows gaps in coverage lead to higher rates of recidivism resulting in over-incarceration.The double standard created by MIEP is putting undue strain on local judicial, law enforcement, public safety and human services systems leading to increased health care costs and poorer health outcomes. Having access to federal health benefits for non-convicted individuals would allow for improved coordination of care, while decreasing short-term costs to local taxpayers and long-term costs to the federal government.The suspension of federal benefits for pre-trial detainees not only presents constitutional challenges but also unjustly increases the fiscal impact on sheriffs and counties to pay for needed medical and mental health care, that but for their incarceration, the federal government would cover. These monies, if reinstated, would increase sheriffs’ ability to provide additional programming and resources to inmates and allow for a smoother transition into communities for the inmate without a lapse in benefits and medical care.Read more about the need to reinstate federal health care benefits for non-convicted justice-involved individuals here.Members of the Task Force:Co-Chair: Hon. Nancy SharpeCommissioner, Arapahoe County, Colo.Co-Chair: Hon. Greg ChampagneSheriff, St. Charles Parish, La.Delrice AdamsExecutive Director, Cook County, Ill. Justice Advisory CouncilHon. Michael AdkinsonSheriff,Walton County, Fla.Hon. Kathryn BargerSupervisor, Los Angeles County, Calif.Hon. Roy Charles BrooksCommissioner, Tarrant County, TexasHon. Brett ClarkSheriff, Hendricks County, Ind.Hon. Jerry ClaytonSheriff, Washtenaw County, Mich.Hon. Thomas DartSheriff, Cook County, Ill.Hon. Jerry DemingsMayor, Orange County, Fla.Hon. John FlynnDistrict Attorney, Erie County, N.Y., Member of the Board of Directors, National District Attorneys AssociationHon. Daron HallSheriff, Davidson County, Tenn.Hon. Michael HeldmanSheriff, Hancock County, OhioHon. David HudsonJudge, Sebastian County, Ark.Hon. Clay JenkinsJudge, Dallas County, TexasHon. Peter J. KoutoujianSheriff, Middlesex County, Mass.Hon. Steven LeifmanAssociate Administrative Judge, Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, Miami-Dade County, Fla.Nick MacchioneDirector, Health and Human Services Agency, San Diego County, Calif.Hon. John McMahonSheriff,San Bernardino County, Calif.Hon. Gabriel Morgan Sr.Sheriff, Newport News, Va.Hon. Christopher MossCounty Executive, Chemung County, N.Y.Hon. Eric SeversonSheriff, Waukesha County, Wisc.Hon. Helen StoneCommissioner, Chatham County, Ga.Hon. Tim SvensonSheriff, Yamhill County, Ore.Hon. Janet ThompsonCommissioner, Boone County, Mo.Hon. Errol Toulon, Jr.Sheriff, Suffolk County, N.Y.Hon. Jenny WilsonMayor, Salt Lake County, UtahEdward ZacharyDirector, Veterans Service Office, Medina County, OhioAbout The National Association of Counties & National Sheriffs’ AssociationThe National Association of Counties (NACo) strengthens America’s counties, including nearly 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees. Founded in 1935, NACo unites county officials to advocate for county government priorities in federal policymaking; promote exemplary county policies and practices; nurture leadership skills and expand knowledge networks; optimize county and taxpayer resources and cost savings; and enrich the public’s understanding of county government. www.naco.orgThe National Sheriffs’ Association is one of the largest associations of law enforcement professionals in the U.S., representing more than 3,000 elected Sheriffs across the nation, and with a total membership of more than 20,000. NSA is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising the level of professionalism among Sheriffs, their deputies, and others in the field of law enforcement, public safety, and criminal justice. Throughout its seventy-eight year history, NSA has also served as an information resource for all law enforcement, as well as State governments and the Federal government.(NOTE: The above press release is from the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office.)Like Wilmington Apple on Facebook. Follow Wilmington Apple on Twitter. Follow Wilmington Apple on Instagram. Subscribe to Wilmington Apple’s daily email newsletter HERE. Got a comment, question, photo, press release, or news tip? Email wilmingtonapple@gmail.com.Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Like Loading… RelatedSenator Markey & Middlesex Sheriff Koutoujian Promote Expansion Of Opioid Treatment In JailsIn “Government”Middlesex Sheriff Visits DC To Advocate For Pretrial Health Care CoverageIn “Government”Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian Elected President of the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ AssociationIn “Government”
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Arab officials and foreign ministers pose for a photo during the Meeting of the Foreign Ministers preparatory to the 29th Summit in Riyadh. Reuters Meta:The Gulf crisis, which has seen Qatar isolated by Saudi Arabia and its allies, is not on the table at the upcoming meeting of Arab League states, Riyadh’s foreign minister said Thursday.“The solution of Qatar will be within the GCC,” or the six-state Gulf Cooperation Council, Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters in Riyadh ahead of the Arab Summit.He was responding to an AFP question on whether the crisis was on the agenda at the meeting on Sunday, which is hosted by Saudi Arabia and joins 21 of the 22 Arab League member states.Syria is technically a member of the league but has been suspended from the summit since 2011 over the government’s role in the war there.Qatar has confirmed its attendance at the Saudi summit.The 10-month Gulf crisis pits Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain against Qatar. It is the worst crisis to ever hit the Gulf, home to both the world’s largest exporters of oil and liquified natural gas-Saudi Arabia and Qatar respectively.Riyadh and its allies broke off relations with Doha in June, accusing it of fostering close links with Tehran and supporting Islamist extremists. Qatar denies the charges.The boycott includes the closure of the small Gulf state’s only land border with Saudi Arabia.Saudi media close to the government this week announced the kingdom planned to dig a canal the length of its border with Qatar, to turn its peninsula neighbour into an isolated island.The planned canal, dubbed “Salwa”, is “funded entirely by Saudi and Emirati private sector investment under full Saudi authority,” Sabq Online Newspaper reported on Monday.The Saudi government has not issued a denial.Kuwait, a member of the GCC, has led mediation efforts in the crisis-to no avail-with the support of the United States.US President Donald Trump had initially supported the Saudi-led economic blockade on Qatar, but aides-mindful of the pivotal role that the Al Udeid Air Base outside Doha plays in US Middle East operations-have since convinced him to take a more moderate approach.Trump met with the Emir of Qatar at the White House on Tuesday, barely one year after alleging Doha funded terrorism at a “high level” and less than two weeks after meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.The president on Tuesday dubbed the Qatari emir a “friend” and “great gentleman”.
Raphael Mujib St John Percy. Photo: BSSTulip Siddiq, a niece of prime minister Sheikh Hasina, gave birth to a baby son at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead in the UK.Baby named Raphael Mujib St John Percy appeared just before 10:00am on Saturday, London based the Camden New Journal reported.The PM’s younger sister Sheikh Rehana’s daughter Tulip Siddiq and her husband Christian Percy thanked staff of the hospital.“We are extremely grateful to the doctors, nurses, midwives and staff at the Royal Free hospital for their brilliant work and for looking after our son so well,” Siddiq said.Raphael is the second child of Tulip who gave birth to daughter Azalea in 2016.Siddiq, the Hampstead and Kilburn MP, was at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead on Thursday morning, less than 24 hours after being taken by taxi to the House of Commons car park so that she could take part in the vote of confidence in Theresa May’s crisis-hit government, said the newspaper.Earlier in the week, she had been pushed in a wheelchair to take part in Tuesday night’s Commons vote which saw MPs overwhelmingly reject May’s European Union withdrawal terms.Siddiq had delayed the Caesarean in order to vote against the Brexit deal, raising new calls for a proxy system allowing MPs to vote without being present in special circumstances.
The magic of hand-crafted and hand-woven marvels of rural Bengal cast its spell on the connoisseurs of the capital at Banga Utsav 2015, which was held from April 18 to 21 at Dilli Haat. Heralding the advent of the Bengali New Year or Nabo Barsho, the week-long exposition, organized by the Office of the Resident Commissioner, West Bengal, in collaboration with socio-cultural organization banglanatak dot com, was inaugurated in the gracious presence of Bhaskar Khulbe, Additional Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, Atanu Purkayastha, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of West Bengal, R D Meena, Principal Resident Commissioner, Government of West Bengal and Puneet K Goel, Commissioner, South Delhi Municipal Corporation. Also Read – ‘Playing Jojo was emotionally exhausting’Bengali New Year is celebrated on 14 April in the Bangladesh and 15 April in the Indian state of West Bengal by the Bengali people and also by minor Bengali communities in other Indian states, including Assam, Tripura, Jharkhand and Orrisa. Some of the highlights of the exhibition were, the display and sale of ethnic Bengal handloom products, the beautiful Baluchari and hand-printed batik sarees and exquisite handicrafted items such as mats, wooden dolls and masks, embossed leather goods, clay models, dokra craft and terracotta costume jewellery. Also Read – Leslie doing new comedy special with NetflixPromotion of community-led and managed Rural Craft Hubs are being developed in ten locations across Bengal targeting revitalization of traditional crafts, capacity building, infrastructure, technology and marketing support to craft persons and encouraging diversification efforts to ensure better financial returns for their creations. Presentation of mesmerizing folk music tradition of Bengal were showcased in the evenings of April 18 and 19, bringing performers of Bhatiyali and Bhawaiya songs at the amphitheatre of Dilli Haat created an ambience of celebration, colour and rhythm.The Office of the Resident Commissioner, West Bengal, organised handicrafts and handloom fairs at Delhi at regular intervals for the last few years with an objective to provide a national platform to rural artisans and weavers from the state. The endevour was a part of that continuing initiative which has received wide acclaim and encouragement from the citizens of Delhi so far.
Sky has pledged to roll out new features for its advanced Sky Q platform, including Spotify integration in the UK and Ireland from this spring.Sky said that starting next month it will progressively introduce new product features for Sky Q such as greater personalisation based on a household’s viewing habits, with voice functionality to be extended to allow customers to ask for personalised recommendations like “show movies for me”.Sky also pledged to double the amount of Ultra HD content available on Sky Q this year and said that it will take the viewing experience “to another level” with the launch of high dynamic range (HDR).Other updates include a new wide-screen user interface and a new Sky Q app for smart TVs and third-party devices. Customers will be allowed to stream Sky content on even more devices at the same time, giving users more flexibility.Sky also said that Sky Q will become “one of the safest places for kids to watch TV” with the introduction of a new Kids mode.“Sky Q keeps getting better and better. With this suite of innovation, we are taking the user experience to another level – and we won’t stop there,” said Sky group CEO Jeremy Darroch.“We will continue enhancing Sky Q and finding new ways to bring customers more of what they love, and in so doing ensure we appeal to every household and every one in that household. With Spotify joining our Sky Q platform, we are giving customers the best home entertainment experience in Europe.”Jorge Espinel, vice-president of business development, Spotify, said: “The partnership between Spotify and Sky will offer consumers the chance to enjoy great entertainment from two leading media brands, and we are excited for what the future of the partnership may bring.”