The National Center on Institutions and Alternatives (NCIA) was founded in 1977 as a501(c)(3) corporation for the express purpose of providing timely intervention, education,and unconditional care to all persons who come into contact with the human services orcriminal justice systems. NCIA is a national service provider, advocate, and resource forthose persons and entities seeking alternatives to institutionalization.Principal programs include sentencing and capital mitigation services for courts andattorneys; technical assistance and master planning for state and local governments seekingto lower their reliance on institutionalization; residential living units for individuals withspecial needs; educational and vocational alternatives for the developmentally disabled;mental health counseling for adults; research and consultation on jail suicide and itsprevention; and groundbreaking research and timely analysis on criminal and juvenile justice.