The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog

People in need of mental health and substance abuse care continue to enter and exit a turnstile that one time may lead to a short-term care facility and the next time may lead into the state or federal prison system or even a juvenile justice facility. Most times there is very little hope of breaking this cycle as there are too few beds available for long-term care. This ineffective pattern is costly to taxpayers because people in need are continuously in and out of our courts and criminal justice facilities. This is not the right venue for them and truthfully, the cycle is just plain cruel to people who truly are in need.

We need to realize that it is not a crime to need mental health care. But it is a crime to treat people with a mental illness as though they are criminals.

To exacerbate this issue, when a person with a mental illness is placed in a jail or justice facility, they may be given contradictory or less effective medications than they have been originally prescribed, causing physical and emotional reactions and unneeded stress on the individual. Controlling medical care in the criminal justice system is mostly a fiscal issue, not a best-medical care practice, and could provide a contradictory purpose to the person needing mental health treatment. For example, earlier this year in a Pinellas jail, an inmate plucked out his eye in frustration while waiting for treatment.

JAIL CRISIS

Once released from the jail or prison system, people in need begin living under short-term state care or in private facilities. When they are released from these temporary shelters, they often begin living on the street and then can end up without medication and back in the justice system. This is a broad example of the broken circle.

According to the Florida Department of Children & Families, more than 309 adults in crisis are currently being held in jails and prisons while waiting for one of the paltry 1,329 available state beds. For juveniles, there only are 158 beds available and half a dozen youth are awaiting care. Despite ever-increasing spending on correction facilities for both juveniles and adults, Florida's jail and prison populations are growing faster than we can build them.

On a national level, up to 700,000 people or about 6 percent of the 11.4 million adults booked into U.S. jails each year have active symptoms of serious mental illness. In Florida about 20 percent of the adult inmates are people with a mental illness.

Florida is not alone in this crisis but perhaps we can set a good example for what is needed. Turning our backs on this issue and pretending it does not exist is not the solution. Instead, the solution is a public-private team approach that will provide a smooth transition from a crisis situation to long-term private care.

STATUS QUO UNACCEPTABLE

The Florida Substance Abuse and Mental Health Corp., created by the Legislature last spring, of which I am an ex-officio member, will advise the governor on this very issue in 2007. The corporation has put together a Committee on Criminal Justice to examine this dilemma and to help develop a comprehensive mental health and substance abuse care plan for juveniles and adults. The committee is concentrating on developing a plan that includes diversion tactics to place people with mental health or substance abuse needs who commit minor infractions in alternative facilities rather than jails and prisons. The committee also will focus on in-care and after care services for both age groups.

The committee and larger corporations do recognize already-in-place local and state agencies and facilities that can provide the base network for people in need. It is looking to strengthen these with legislation, guidance and enhanced diversion and long-term services which means increasing expenditures for these services. Earlier this month, the Department of Children & Families developed a 13-point list of Forensic Waitlist Actions to help focus attention on the need for additional and diversionary care.

I want to bring these solutions into Lee County and help our existing facilities and programs fill in the gaps. This will take social and financial support. The Smart Growth Committee recently held a workshop where members discussed supporting this initiative. However, additional input and discussions are needed to make this partnership work.

Status quo won't do. The goal is to provide relief to our community by helping to thin out the jail population, keep people off of the streets and save money by taking people in need out of the court system and providing them with preventative care.

‹ Bob Janes is chairman of the Lee County Board of County Commissioners.

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