Cole County Jail voices concerns about lack of resources
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Cole County Jail is holding 14 inmates who have been court-ordered for psychiatric care, but officials are saying they do not have enough facility resources to provide mental health care to inmates.
In a Facebook post by Cole County Sheriff John Wheeler, the Cole County Jail has 160 inmates, and 14 of them have been found incompetent to stand trial. Two of the 14 have been determined permanently incompetent.
Those inmates have been court-ordered to a Missouri Department of Mental Health facility. However, there is a shortage of psychiatric beds, so those inmates are still located in the Cole County Jail, waiting for a spot in a facility.
Wheeler said that the Department of Mental Health provides counseling services to the inmates, but the facility is not staffed or equipped to deliver extensive care to the inmates.
"Our facility is not designed or staffed to provide the level of psychiatric care these individuals require. As a result, several continue to decompensate while awaiting placement in an appropriate treatment facility. Their care requires extensive staff time, specialized attention, and additional resources, placing an even greater burden on an already overextended workforce," wrote Wheeler in the Facebook post.
Because the jail is operating beyond capacity, Cole County is paying to send 26 additional inmates to outside facilities, which is about $1,300 per day or $39,000 per month.
"Cole County taxpayers are bearing the financial burden of these delays," wrote Wheeler.
Cole County judges have done their legal duties by issuing the commitment orders, and Wheeler wrote that the issues are not with them.
"The challenge is not with the courts — it is with the lack of available placement and timely action by the Department of Mental Health," wrote Wheeler.
Wheeler also says that if the 14 inmates waiting to be sent to a Mental Health facility were transferred, that "would significantly reduce costs to Cole County taxpayers."
The issues for the jail go beyond overcrowding and costs, according to Wheeler. He says it is important to ensure inmates receive timely treatment in places with the resources to meet their needs.
