Officials: Mental health treatment not absent in jail

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Despite some perceptions, Kane County Jail officials say inmates with mental illnesses have opportunities for treatment. While counties, including Kane, have programs to treat defendants with a mental illness – instead of incarcerating them – institutions continue to address mental health issues. Many defendants often don’t qualify for the diversion programs, and end up in jail. Between 17 and 19 percent of inmates in the Kane County jail have a mental illness, according to Cathy India, a registered nurse and the jail’s Health Administrator. The most commonly seen mental illness in jail is depression, India said. The jail’s health staff also deals with inmates with bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia, she said. Besides access to medication, inmates can receive group or one-on-one treatment. Programs include anger management, anxiety management and coping skills, substance-abuse education and relapse prevention, along with mental illness education and its associated relapse prevention. “I’m relatively new to corrections, and I was actually pleasantly surprised to know the level of care offered here,” said India, who always refers to inmates as patients. Daily dealings Each inmate receives a physical and mental health evaluation when they arrive. Besides nurses, there are mental health clinicians and a psychiatrist available, India said. “Our primary goal at that time is to demonstrate compassionate care and letting every individual know that we look at the dignity of every human person,” she said. “We want them to know we’re there to take care of them.” After they are evaluated, some inmates may see a psychiatrist. The health staff also receives a medical history to learn any treatment or medications prescribed to an inmate before going to jail, India said. “We learn what type of meds they were on before, and what will work best for them right now in this circumstance,” she said. Once an evaluation is complete, the staff comes up with a plan for inmates’ needs, which could include a combination of medication and the treatment programs offered. In some instances, inmates could be sent to a hospital, if they require a higher level of care, India said. Cmdr. Pat Keaty, who heads up the jail, said there is a forward-thinking approach to mentally ill inmates. “We’re very progressive,” he said, referring to the treatment procedures, along with correction officer training. Officers receive training on crisis intervention, how to deal with mental illness and other relevant issues, said Sheriff Pat Perez. Perez also notes how staff provides treatment referrals when someone leaves the jail, whether they’re released or pay bail. “We just don’t put them out the door,” he said. “If they’re supposed to take medication and they don’t, they might end up doing something that lands them back in jail.” India said newly released inmates often are referred to community treatment centers throughout the area that can address their specific needs. “It’s best for us; it’s best for the community,” Perez said. Corrections officials say the upcoming move this summer to a new jail shouldn’t change dealings with mentally ill inmates. India said larger, more advanced medical facilities might even enhance care. Other view During a high-profile case involving a defendant with a mental illness, defense attorney Herb Hill was adamant treatment in jail just wasn’t enough. Betty Whitten pleaded guilty last March to second-degree murder in the stabbing death of her 34-year-old daughter, Nyakiambi Whitten, who was developmentally disabled. She originally was arrested in April 2006 on first-degree murder charges. The former Campton Hills Township woman now resides in prison, serving a 10-year sentence. According to Hill, Whitten suffered from severe depressive disorder. After a brief stay at the Elgin Mental Health Center, a judge determined she was fit to stand trial, sending her back to jail. From then on, Hill tried to get Whitten out of jail and into the treatment he said she required. “As a consequence, [Whitten’s] psychiatric condition did not improve,” Hill said. “There was no ability for the jail [to treat Whitten].” Hill said Whitten’s situation is not unique. Mentally ill inmates who are fit for trial cannot receive adequate treatment while incarcerated, he said. India said she could not discuss a specific patient but said, “We have access to in-patient hospitalization for patients who require that level of care.” Moving forward Wynne Korr is the dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. She calls the issue of mental illness in jails “so obvious.” “This is a problem that isn’t going away,” Korr said. “The main thing is strengthening community-based systems of care.” Such programs teach individuals how to live with and treat their illness. That way, the mentally ill at risk of incarceration might not end up in a situation that puts them in jail, she said. “It’s keeping them out of both the hospital and the prison system,” Korr said. Illinois is not “at the top of the list” for such care, she said. “We can only hope we can do a better job.”