Help for mentally ill inmates in FL

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2006
Help for mentally ill inmates in FL
4
Sun, 10-15-2006 - 10:02pm

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A judge threatened the state Department of Children and Families with thousands of dollars a day in fines if it does not begin taking in mentally ill jail inmates, as required by law.



















Florida law requires the agency to move county jail inmates found incompetent to stand trial to treatment facilities within 15 days. But law enforcement officials and inmate lawyers across the state say the agency's inaction has left many languishing in jail for months.


In one of the toughest rulings on the issue, Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Crockett Farnell said Friday that he will fine the agency $1,000 a day for each mentally ill inmate who remains in the Pinellas jail longer than 15 days. He may also require placement in more expensive private treatment facilities.


"This type of arrogant activity cannot be tolerated in an orderly society," Farnell wrote in a ruling in favor of public defenders representing several inmates.


Farnell set a Nov. 16 hearing to check on the agency's progress. There are now about 30 mentally ill inmates in the Pinellas jail who should have been moved to state mental health facilities weeks or months ago.


The Department of Children and Families said it will appeal the decision. The agency said the 1,300 beds available in its current budget are inadequate to meet the demand.


"It's a matter of trying to catch up and trying to work with the legal system to try to find a way to at least find a temporary solution to this problem," agency spokesman Al Zimmerman said. "We are very eager to work with the judicial system to solve this problem."


Officials around Florida are becoming impatient. In the Panhandle, for example, a judge threatened to have a mentally ill inmate dropped off at department Secretary Lucy D. Hadi's office if the agency couldn't find a hospital bed.




     ~ Tina ~

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-01-2004
Sun, 10-15-2006 - 11:15pm

Thanks for posting this, as you might expect mental health treatment for inmates is a subject near & dear to me, for obvious reasons.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-27-2006
Mon, 10-16-2006 - 12:09am

My brother was BP1 and was in jail most of his adult life. He had a lot of problems with mania and he self medicated with heavy drugs and drinking. It eventually killed him. I am totally for helping those in jail with help for mental illness. Most inmates have a mental illness and need counseling. Unfortionately, a lot will not seek help or continue with treatment. My brother was one who refused treatment. He would rather be classified as a drug addict then someone with a mental illness. Therefore, he continued to get himself in trouble and incarcerated.


There are a percentage of inmates that I believe want to rehabilitate themselves and get better. The help should be there. They need support. The funds need to be available to help those who have no insurance, which most don't. There needs to be funds for ALL

     ~ Tina ~

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 10-16-2006 - 11:19am

My brother is BP and is currently "on the run" because of this VERY issue. He needs treatment, not to simply be jailed (for habitual TRAFFIC offenses and VOP). He's never been arrested for anything but traffic, but he will be jailed for it. He's also drug addicted and needs treatment for that as well.

I also have a friend who is in prison here...he finally got moved to the mental health "prison", but it took MONTHS. He is also BP and was NOT getting meds while he was imprisoned.

TOUGH ISSUE and something NEEDS to be done about it. Hopefully, this will help some.

Keli

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-01-2004
Mon, 10-16-2006 - 6:59pm

Y'all know I have a tendancy to really get involved in causes I believe in--so of course, I'm now active in prison issues.