AXSChat with Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren : 29th of April 2025

 

Ginger WrenJudge Ginger Lerner-Wren was elected Broward County Court Judge, 17th Judicial Circuit, Florida (1997); where she pioneered America’s first specialized Mental Health Court. The court is dedicated to the safe diversion of persons arrested with mental illness and neuro-cognitive disorders through the application of therapeutic jurisprudence and a trauma-informed approach.    

The Court is a national and global model; and has diverted over 23,000 people out of Broward County’s jail with linkage to individualized community-based care and psychosocial services.

Judge Wren is an Adjunct Professor at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) College of Psychology and Neuroscience and NSU Criminal Justice Institute, Graduate Studies, 2017 to Present. She is an author, A Court of Refuge: Stories from the Bench of America’s First Mental Health Court; Beacon Press, 2018.

Judge Wren is a national and global speaker on mental health & criminal justice, problem-solving Justice, therapeutic jurisprudence, trauma informed courts, and leading cultural change.

Questions:

 

Q1 What impact does community involvement have on the success of mental health programs? #AXSChat

Q2 Are AI and technology playing a positive role in supporting mental health in the justice system, what safeguards do we need to put in place to ensure that we don’t automate bad decisions? #AXSChat

Q3 How do you see the future of Mental Health Courts and their role in the justice system? #AXSChat

Q4 How has mental health awareness evolved over the years and what innovative approaches to improving Mental health have you observed in recent years both inside and outside of the justice system. #AXSChat

Q5 @judgewren.bsky.social talks & writes about Restorative Justice how can we build more systems that promote social cohesion, increase wellbeing and divert people away from crime? #AXSChat

Q6 What unique challenges do mental health courts face compared to regular courts? #AXSChat

 

 

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