County officials discuss jail transition program

By BRYCE KELLY

Mt. Pleasant News

A jail transition program is in the works for Henry County and early talks of such a program is receiving positive feedback from many county professionals thus far.

A jail transition program has been occasionally discussed in Henry County for a few years, but many mental health and law enforcement officials say things are now slowly starting to come to fruition. Although such a program is still in its infancy, many believe the good that could come from having a program is tremendous.

?These types of programs are specifically designed for those with a true mental illness that are falling into the jail system because of issues surrounding that illness,? said Henry County coordinator of disability services, Sarah Berndt, during the Tuesday Henry County Board of Supervisors meeting.

Berndt?s discussion of a jail transition program dominated much of the supervisors? meeting as she described Henry County?s possible involvement with developing a jail transition program.

?Both Lee and Des Moines counties have been working on their own program for a long time, and they are having a lot of success with it,? she said.

Lee and Des Moines Counties are currently being used heavily as a model for Henry County as officials begin to develop a local jail transition program locally.

The main goal of this type of program is to make mental health professionals available to jail inmates that have, or are suspected of having, mental health issues. Should an inmate display symptoms of mental illness, the individual would be given proper and consistent treatment for their illness while incarcerated.

Upon exiting the jail system, mental health professionals would assist the individual in coordinating appropriate mental health services so that they could continue to receive proper treatment as independent citizens if they choose.

According to Henry County Sheriff Rich McNamee, a vast majority of inmates admitted at the Henry County Jail are currently receiving mental health services, or are in great need of mental health-related services at the time of being incarcerated.

McNamee says that although not all inmates can attribute their cause for criminal action to a mental illness, data suggests that if individuals with mental health issues receive consistent, appropriate care for their mental health needs, recidivism rates in jails drop dramatically.

?Success with this type of program is not 100 percent, but overall it has been proven to help,? said McNamee.

For the Henry County Sheriff?s Department, the push for such a program is multi-layered. First, McNamee says he desires to see many individuals with mental illness get the care they need and deserve. Second, McNamee says Henry County is simply short on jail space.

?We can cut our inmate numbers simply by helping those who are struggling with a mental illness. Our county jail is not large, so we have a lot of inmates that we have to transfer to other jail facilities when we reach capacity in Henry County. If we can keep some individuals from returning to jail by giving them the tools and help they need, then I think it?s definitely something we need to consider.?

The cost for a jail transition program is still unknown as is whether or not Henry County would partner with a neighboring county to hold a joint program. Early plans suggest hold a program with neighboring counties could help lower program costs overall.

Besides talk of the jail transition program, Berndt also updated the board of supervisors on her office?s current budget, which she says looks to be stable.

?As a region and a county, we are doing well in terms of funding at this point,? said Berndt. ?There aren?t any real major concerns with the budget right now.?

The next Henry County Board of Supervisors meeting will be Thursday, April 23 at 9 a.m., at the Henry County Courthouse.