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Lubbock County Commissioners are preparing to discuss a $250,000 yearly contract with MHMR to provide mental health services to inmates in the new detention center.
The new lockup features a special needs unit, which is currently unused because there's no staff to man it.
Inmates with mental health problems is a common occurrence but having a facility to properly care for them is not. Prior to construction of the new detention center special needs inmates were sent to Vernon or Big Spring, where mental health correction centers are already overcrowded.
More times than not these inmates were shipped back to Lubbock without treatment.
"Some folks aren't getting processed through the system, it's just taking too long for the majority of those inmates," says commissioner Bill McCay. He says the process to treat these inmates is a collaboration between UMC, MHMR and the Sheriff's Department.
"It's the right thing to do for the tax payers, to get these folks through the criminal justice system as fast as we can get them out of jail and get them to some point where they can get back in the community," says McCay.
Right now the detention center is housing 300 inmates who have previously received mental health services.
Sheriff Kelly Rowe says the first step is identification.
"And we've got assessors in place now to identify these individual when they are first entering into custody at our jail," says Rowe.
Then MHMR will provide the medications and other mental health services. The contract provides for an on-site psychiatrist three to four hours per week, an on-site licensed counselor to oversee the program daily, and qualified mental health professionals.
The program will include activities designed to help these inmates practice logical thinking skills.
The contract will be reviewed by commissioners November 22. If approved, the program will begin December 1.
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