‘It’s a revolving door’: Michigan jails struggle with mental health demands

‘It’s a revolving door’: Michigan jails struggle with mental health demands

Michigan jails are filling up with people suffering from mental illnesses.

25 years ago, the state shut down more than a dozen psychiatric hospitals. Mental health advocates say the cost-saving decision backfired, and now it’s costing patients who are ending up in the criminal justice system.

“Unfortunately, a lot of mental health patients fall through the cracks and wind up in jail,” Van Buren County Sheriff Dan Abbott said.

By default, Abbott said jails are becoming the place where many people who are in need of behavioral healthcare are getting help.

“We’re not a mental health facility, we can only do so much on our end,” Abbott said. “We’re trained to deal with mental patients, but then again, we’re a not a psych hospital.”

State figures show there’s more than 253 people on the waiting list to get into Michigan’s four psychiatric hospitals.

The shortage of inpatient resources is contributing to higher crime rates, according to Abbott.

“They’re out committing crimes, then we arrest them,” Abbott said. “It’s a revolving door.”

In Michigan, there are currently 11,826 prisoners being provided some level of behavioral healthcare, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Read more: https://wwmt.com/news/local/michigan-jails-mental-illness-inmates-psychiatric-hospitals-behavioral-health-crisis-kalamazoo-van-buren-calhoun-county-jail
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