There was a time most mentally ill people received treatment in hospitals staffed by mental health professionals. However, county jails have taken over much of this responsibility, said Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald of Story County in Iowa.
“Mental health is a crisis,” Fitzgerald said in an interview. He was president of the National Sheriffs Association last year. “Whether it’s Oklahoma, California, Florida or Maine, mental health is a crisis. But unfortunately when you’re developing county budgets, state budgets or even the federal budget, one of the first things cut is support for mental health.”
Jails, however, are often the worst places for the mentally ill, for they’re prone to outbursts and misbehaviors, Fitzgerald said. As a result of disruptive behavior, they’ll be in county jails longer and cost taxpayers more money.
Fitzgerald says counties should pool resources to employ mental health professionals to evaluate offenders to give them the help needed. He noted his small county’s jail relies on a counselor who tracks non-violent, mentally ill inmates after their release to ensure they’re taking medication and staying clear of trouble.
However, using county jails as our primary mental health treatment facility is expensive, ineffective and dangerous, he said.