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| A jail is no place for the mentally ill |
| By startribune.com - Rich Stanek |
| Published: 11/29/2012 |
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MINNESOTA - The largest mental-health facilities in the United States are not hospitals -- they are jails: in L.A. County, in Chicago's Cook County, and on New York's Rikers Island. Locally on any given day, the Hennepin County Medical Center Psychiatric Inpatient facility holds fewer mentally ill individuals than we hold in the Hennepin County jail, and quite frankly, many of these folks do not belong in our jail. Over 35,000 inmates each year are booked into the Hennepin County jail. The Sheriff's Office manages and operates the jail, and is responsible for the safe and secure custody of approximately 750 inmates each day as they await the resolution of their criminal charges by the court. We provide food and required medical care. We securely transport inmates to court appearances and to other facilities as determined by the courts. We estimate that as many as 25 percent to 30 percent of inmates suffer from mental illness. The jail has medical and nursing staff who regularly check on inmates and provide prescribed medications and mental-health screenings. The Sheriff's Office created a mental-health unit to allow for appropriate identification and placement of inmates with mental illness. Sheriff's Office personnel receive extensive training on custody and safety issues for mentally ill inmates. The program has won a national award for its innovative and humane approach. Read More. |
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