|
|
| Clark County Jail's suicide prevention work pays off |
| By columbian.com - Emily Gillespie |
| Published: 12/10/2013 |
|
No suicides have been recorded so far this year at the Clark County Jail — a dramatic contrast to the four in 2012 and three in 2011. "I'm ecstatic," Jail Chief Ric Bishop said. "It's telling me that the things we're putting together. … The steps we've taken have made a positive impact." The startling number of inmate suicides in recent years — 13 from 2007 through 2012 — led to increased pressure for change from mental health advocates, families of inmates, custody officers and county commissioners. Sheriff Garry Lucas tasked Bishop with making the jail a safer place for those who might be contemplating suicide. Late last year, the jail replaced protruding fixtures around the facility. The agency swapped in shorter, ball-shaped shower heads, put in fire sprinklers shaped like cones and replaced metal window frames with those that no longer have a gap -- all measures to limit means for inmates to hang themselves. The upgrades were paid for by a $545,000 supplemental budget that county commissioners approved in November 2012. Other changes focus on the jail's implementing a more therapeutic approach to housing mentally ill people. This includes increasing the amount of mental health counseling for inmates from 80 to 120 hours per week. The increased service didn't increase the budget because other medical costs were kept down. Read More. |
MARKETPLACE search vendors | advanced search
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
|
Comments:
No comments have been posted for this article.
Login to let us know what you think