In the Category of -- "Isn't This Interesting . . ." DOJ Targeting 
OK Jail In Part for Its Handling of Inmates with Mental Illness

DOJ Findings Letter Re: 
OK County Jail

Another major reason the Jail fails to provide adequate psychiatric service is the lack of adequate mental health staff at the Jail.

 There is only one full-time psychiatrist serving the Jail. 

During our tour, we received conflicting information about the number of detainees on anti-psychotic medications, but it appeared that at least nine to 10 percent of the detainees were taking these medications. 

Accordingly, the Jail should have approximately 250 detainees taking anti-psychotic medications. 

According to the American Psychiatric Association guidelines, the recommended staffing for psychiatrists in jails is one-full time psychiatrist for every 75 to 100 detainees with serious mental illness who are receiving psychotropic medication. 

Thus, the Jail has less than half the recommended number of psychiatrists serving its detainees. 

www.justice.gov/crt/about/spl/documents/
OKCounty_Jail_findlet_073108.pdf
(page 15)

1 psychiatrist for 1300 Inmate-Capacity Jefferson County Detention Facility. Our understanding is the psychiatrist is part-time, and the jail has asst. mental health workers.

Val's Take

           It's pretty obvious that with everything else jails have to do, they can't afford to be mental health clinics.

           Plus, generally jails can't qualify for that federal Medicaid match money.

            Finally, and most importantly, we force law enforcement to engage in inhumane practices such as administrative segregation because they don't have the tools to do otherwise.

            Let's get folks with mental illness out of jails and prisons for everyone's benefit --  and bring some much needed competency and humanity to our treatment of these matters.