As talks about a new jail grow, community resources for people with mental health and substance abuse issues are too few and lack funding.
Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of stories looking at conditions in the Monroe County Jail. The first story highlighted some of the problems and the history of jail discussions. This story takes a look issues related to mental health. The final two installments will take a deeper look at recidivism and programs designed to reduce reincarceration, and how long local court cases are taking to resolve.
A local jail built to detain defendants awaiting trial and the convicted serving time is burdened by being a detox center and mental health facility as well.
A doctor who used to service the Monroe County Jail once said, in regard to mental illness, it was one of the sickest jails he’s seen. People with mental illness are consistently filtering in and out of the jail’s “revolving door.”
“The jail is the largest mental health facility in the county,” jail commander Sam Crowe said recently as a mentally ill woman’s wails echoed through a jail corridor.
As talk about a new multi-million-dollar jail project continues, community resources for people with mental health and substance abuse issues are too few and lack funding. It’s these services that advocates and studies agree help people get back on their feet and avoid the system altogether. Monroe County has some resources and specialty courts, but many people still fall through the cracks as addressing mental health remains a significant community issue.