Mental health professional position approved for county jail
Enid News & EagleJul 10, 2020
The regular meeting at the
Jail Administrator
"We're almost there," he said of staffing at the facility. He said this week, 320 hours of training had been completed and another 130 policies had been implemented and released.
Crooks said there were 11 inmates at the jail on suicide watch, which he explained to the board.
"If someone ever says to us 'I feel like I am going to commit suicide, or 'I should commit suicide' or make any mention of suicide we put them on suicide watch," he said. "It causes a lot of attention from us and it's hard to deal with."
He said once placed on suicide watch, the inmate is observed 24 hours a day and an alarm sounds every 15 minutes, with the jailer checking on the inmate and signing a log.
Crooks said mental health problems were increasing at jails as more mental heath facilities are closed.
"Our issues grow and grow and grow and with that so does our liability. We've got to have a mental health professional to evaluate them," he said. Crooks said the jail has to call in someone to do those evaluations.
"I would like to go after at least a 30-hour-a-week, preferably a 40-hour-a-week person, trained to do mental health evaluations for us," he said. "(Sheriff) Jody (Helm) and I have spoken about this since I've been here. It's needed. it's warranted."
Crooks said the aim was to get people to somewhere that could help them.
Trustee
"I think we've got to have it. I think we need to have it," Henneke said. "I'm all for us looking around trying to find somebody, see who's available and at what cost."
Crooks also told the board the jail's contract with it's health provider, ACH, had not been re-signed since
He said this year's adjustment to the contract was a standard 3.3% cost-per-inmate increase, which amounts to
Henneke moved to approve the new contract, which was seconded by Trustee
Crooks suggested an overcrowding committee be formed to address inmate population at the jail when it reached 80% capacity or more. He said the committee would include a judicial representative, local police departments, the sheriff's office, a member of the district attorney's office, a defense attorney, the jail administrator and a member of the public.
"Is it a standalone committee or does it go before someone to say 'Here is what we should do?'" Rutherford asked. Crooks said there was nothing set for the committee in policy, just a recommendation that it exist.
"It gives you a vehicle of more alternatives to suggest besides incarceration," Crooks said. "It creates awareness."
"I would make a motion that we establish an overcrowding committee based upon the fact that inmate population is over 80% and that committee be overseen by jail administrator," Rutherford said. Trustee
It passed unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at
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