The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) announced it was awarded a $50,000 grant from the State Justice Institute (SJI). The SJI Board of Directors met on December 5, 2022, to make decisions on quarterly grant applications, and approved a total of 12 new grants.

Of the countless ways in which mental illness and the justice system intersect, one of the most direct is when courts and judges are involved in an order for evaluation and ultimate determination of a defendant’s competency to stand trial.

The grant will allow the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) to provide technical assistance to examine and recommend best practices within competency to stand trial processes in the Illinois courts.

Evaluating and reforming competency to stand trial processes has emerged as a prominent national discussion, prompting the State Justice Institute to work alongside and support the Conference of Chief Justices and Conference of State Court Administrators’ National Task Force to Examine the State Courts' Response to Mental Illness to develop several resources designed to assist state courts in assessing potential opportunities for system improvements.