(Aug. 14, 2015) The number of mentally ill inmates entering the Dougherty County (Georgia) jail continues to climb despite mental health diversion efforts, according to jail officials (“Dougherty County jail sees increase in number of mentally ill inmates,” WALB, Aug. 7).
Dougherty County officers receive additional specialized training – often called crisis intervention team (CIT) training – to enable them to recognize the signs of mental illness and determine whether or not the person’s behavior is actually criminal or a result of their mental illness.
"Protecting and serving means more than just chasing and arresting,” said Colonel John Ostrander, Dougherty County Jail Director. “It means trying to meet people where they are, to take care of them, to meet their needs and to treat everybody with dignity."
But despite diversion efforts, 38% of inmates in the Dougherty County Jail have a mental illness requiring treatment.
"I can tell that these percentages are going up over time and I don't know if there's an end in sight,” said Ostrander.
I've teased and said that I am actually the defacto director of one of the largest mental health treatment facilities in this part of the state.”
Clearly, something is amiss in Georgia.
In a 2014 Treatment Advocacy Center survey of state mental health commitment laws, Georgia earned a C- for its use of laws that facilitate access to treatment for mental illness and an F for its inpatient commitment grade.
Georgia must improve and make better use of its assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) and inpatient laws for people with severe mental illness.
Learn more by reading our report, “Mental Health Commitment Laws: A Survey of the States," which analyzes the quality and use of laws each state has enacted to meet the needs of people with severe mental illness who cannot recognize their own need for treatment, trapping them in a vicious cycle of incarceration, repeated hospitalization, homelessness, and other ills.
(Photo: JILLK61/Flickr)
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