“With significant percentages of inmates requiring mental health services, detox protocols, or chronic disease management, expanding our infirmary from 24 cells to 125 beds, with additional future capacity, ensures we can provide appropriate, specialized care in a facility designed for modern public health standards. It’s a strategic investment that strengthens both our … [Read more...] about Collin County Addresses Inmate Care With Specialized Mental Health, Medical Facility
mental health
Travis County Crisis Care Jail Diversion Program
Pathway to Stability
Approximately 38 percent of the 2,400-plus inmates in the Travis County Jail have a serious mental health need (i.e., requiring medications), according to Travis County Judge Andy Brown. Of those 2,400, more than two thirds of the individuals have a substance use disorder, Brown estimated. Determined to lower these statistics, Travis County partnered with local stakeholders … [Read more...] about Travis County Crisis Care Jail Diversion Program
A Ray of Hope
Diversion Program Changing Lives in Smith County
Editor’s Note: In many counties, the county jail has become a de facto mental institution, housing mentally ill inmates awaiting due process without their medications and/or life-sustaining therapies. The situation is lose-lose-lose; the inmates and their families, fellow inmates and jail staff, and the taxpayers are all affected. Money has been appropriated, and … [Read more...] about A Ray of Hope
The High Cost of Neglected Mental Health Services
In a recent report, Texas ranked 51st among the states and the District of Columbia in access to mental health care services. This is not a new situation. Texas has consistently funded its services near the bottom of all states. The unfortunate results are easy to document. Early intervention and treatment are unavailable. Law enforcement, the courts, jails, detention centers, … [Read more...] about The High Cost of Neglected Mental Health Services
Mentally Ill Inmates
One Family’s Hope and Heartbreak
In many counties, the jail has become a de facto mental institution, housing mentally ill inmates awaiting due process without their medications and/or life-sustaining therapies. The situation is lose-lose-lose; the inmate, fellow inmates and jail staff, and the taxpayers are all affected. The statistics have been quoted for so long that one wonders if they have lost their … [Read more...] about Mentally Ill Inmates