With the closing of state mental health facilities in the 1980s and ‘90s, many mentally ill people were pushed out onto the streets, and subsequently ended up in jail for one reason or another. Today, a significant portion of the 6,000 inmates in San Bernardino County jails have mental health issues. In part two of this multi-part series on the West Valley Detention Center, Managing editor Tami Roleff discusses how the jails have become the new mental health institutions…
“Seriously mentally ill people are significantly over-represented in the criminal justice system…. Twenty-five percent of our population [in San Bernardino County jails] have identified mental illness, or are on mental health medication.”
Terry Fillman, the health services administrator for the county’s detention centers, said the jails process 80,000 inmates in a year, and every inmate is screened for medical and mental health issues. He added that 71 percent of all bookings are drug related.
Due to the closing of state mental health facilities, the mentally ill have nowhere to go for help.
“Jails have now become de facto mental health system.”
Fillman noted that the jails treat inmates for all their illnesses, whether it’s cancer or mental illness. But some inmates resist treatment, so they are offered incentives—which can be given snacks or allowed to watch a movie—to participate in programs and take their medications.
Our next report will be on therapy animals in the jail.
