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| Changes in New County Jail Will Help Mentally Ill Prisoners |
| By WTVO.com |
| Published: 09/22/2003 |
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One change in the new Winnebago County, Wis. Jail will be a separate area for those prisoners who are determined to be mentally ill. Experts say the severely mentally ill present a unique set of problems for the jail staff. Jail officials say they can be a danger to other prisoners or themselves and can drain jail resources. Providing a separate area for them may be the most cost effective approach and also ensure they get the help they need. Frank Ware, Executive Director of the Janet Wattles Mental Health Center says, "Getting those people into treatment and out of jail...is much more cost effective than leaving them there." Jail officials say currently 14 percent of all prisoners in the county jail are mentally ill. Ware says most people who are mentally ill and end up in jail have never gotten the treatment they need or have stopped getting treatment for a variety of reasons. He says the new jail setup will provide better care for the mentally ill and save taxpayers and the county significant funding. |
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