During last week's interview with NorCo DA Steve Baratta, he told me he had just completed and submitted a proposal for an early-intervention program at the jail. Tise program would use approximately $400,000 in opioid-related funding, not tax dollars.
Under this program, casweorkers will interview newly admitted inmates during classification to identify defendants whose criminal behavior is primarily the result of substance abuse or ongoing mental health problems.
For appropriate defendants present no public safety risks, Baratta wants to develop treatment plans and bring them before a judge for reconsideration of bail.
For peoplke who sit in jail with drug and mental health problems, and wait for six months to a year to get their case resolved, no one benefits from that," he remarked.
According to a 2018 assessment done by NorCo's health provider at the jail, 72% of inmates either are or were suffering a mental illness. A whopping 23% suffer from severe mental illness with current and acute symptoms.
That's what happens when you close state hospitals. Many of the people who belonged there end up at the jail or Gracedale.
When someone is jailed, the county bears the cost of housing and feeding an inmate. Moreover, incarcerated individuals are generally ineligible for Medicaid coverage, which means the county has to pay for medical expenses.
Baratta added that even though the jail is at half-capacity, it is "in turmoil because they can't manage their operations."They don't have enough corrections officers.
Just another bleeding-heart liberal idea to cuddle criminals.
ReplyDeleteIt was Ronald Reagan that closed all the needed Mental Institutions. Shortly thereafter the jails and the prisons and the nursing homes started filling up with mentally ill patients. Loitering and the homeless, etc. became serious offenses and the violators became inmates. Thank you Ronald Reagan. Remember Rittersville. A state institution that helped our mentally ill. Finished for lack of funding by our hero Ronald Reagan.
DeleteSo, where did the opioid-related funding come from if not from tax dollars from citizens someplace?
ReplyDeleteThey come from Big Pharma, which was sued over the opioids its was handing out like candy. It is not tax dollars from citizens anywhere.
DeleteIt is nice that the president of county council. And the DA will get up there and talk about the staffing shortages at the jail. Because the jails administration and HR won't. The administration was just laughing at the union when it was asked of them what they are doing to hire people.
ReplyDeleteHey can they get a program together to help with the mental health of the COs. Being mandated almost every shift is not good for your mental health and family life. But HR will put more effort into stopping officers from going home on a mandate then getting people hired.
ReplyDeleteWhat's pretrial's role in this proposal? Isn't that what they do? Seems like overlapping roles.
ReplyDeleteDoes Baratta have dementia ?
ReplyDeleteThe beginning signs are present, yes
DeleteAll COs should be on FLMA for the mental stress the mandates are causing.
ReplyDeleteThis is not healthy and must affect family life.
I would never do your job and can only applaud you for what you do.
All I can say is HR really sucks and whoever is in charge should be removed.
Isn't that what classification does with the intake process????
ReplyDeleteSounds good, but its the 1st step to cashless bail.
ReplyDeleteI hope Baratta doesn't turn into a political hack like Larry Krazner in Philly. His response to the Cop who was killed by a known felony was appalling and warrants his removal as D A.
DeleteCould use Lehigh County's Team MISA as an example.
ReplyDeleteA little confused. How is this different from the Mental Health Court and Recovery Court programs already offered?
ReplyDeleteCounty drug and alcohol case managers. Are trained to do D & A evaluations. The county can use casemanagers to assess.people and mh casemanagers to do mh assessment and this is all free. Supervisors can do it too but probably wont becasue they dont want to change. They want to do it the same way theyve always done it but that doesn't make sense. Once the evaluations are done the ones that need treatment can get bailed out and go to treatment. for years the county workers have wanted to work with the DA and the courts and they were told no the court is not our friend. The answers to the problems are right there in the human services building if someone with a brain would suggest it to DA and specialty courts and pre trial.
ReplyDeleteNot a bad concept on the surface, but could it be modified to early intercept prior to incarceration. Could there be a protocol the DA and local police could agree to?Especially for those individuals with severe mental health conditions.
ReplyDeleteTake a look at the mission statement and list of included agencies on the Lehigh County Team MISA website. There are many players who need to be included for it to work. DA, PD, jail, drug and alcohol, mental health, probation, etc. All are presently staffed, so no extra costs to tax payers . If NORCO can herd all those cats, it will make a difference. BTW the team co-founder was another DA, Jim Martin, DA RIP.
DeleteNo Co used to do this but Sue and Lamont axed the departments working together. Its simple fix just requires a brain and good leadership and this doesn't exist in current positions incl admin.
DeleteHow is this going to fix the lack of availabie mh treatment providers and funding for mental health services? And how can the DA use opioid funds for people with mental illness who do not have D&A issues?
ReplyDeleteIt requires leadership and willingness to bring all departments together and intelligence to get it done. Everyone works in a silo and Tara isnt forcing any changes just status quo seems to be A OK with her.
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