MENTALLY ILL IN COUNTY JAILS DISCUSSED
Supervisor Don Stapley Hosts First Meeting
Maricopa County Supervisor Don Stapley hosted the first meeting of a commission to deal with the issue of seriously mentally ill people currently housed in the county’s jails.
The sixteen-member commission heard from state, county and mental health representatives.
Supervisor Stapley said, “This meeting is just the first step. We hope to begin identifying the issues involved so that we can address them.”
The commission was told that about 200 inmates in the county’s jail system have been confirmed as seriously mentally ill. Almost two thousand people though, are being treated with psychotropic medications. That’s more than a fifth of the
9-thousand people currently held in the county jails.
Supervisor Stapley has appointed two working groups to begin identifying the issues. The first will be chaired by Arizona Secretary of State Jan Brewer. Her group will try to determine if federal funds can be used to treat seriously mentally ill people while they are in jail.
Chief Deputy Dave Hendershott, from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department, will head the second group. This group will explore the possibility of using existing substance abuse programs in the jail to treat people with co-occurring disorders. This would allow people who are seriously mentally ill and have substance abuse problems, to receive treatment that many are currently not eligible for.
“There are a lot of moving parts to this issue. I am confident that with all the talent and expertise on this commission we will be able to make some headway,” said Stapley.
The group is expected to meet again in about one month.
(For more information contact Al Macias 602-506-7063)