A Hou_Landing investigation found that nearly 180 people in Texas had been flagged as potentially mentally ill but died in jail instead of getting the care they needed.
Rowena Ward replaces flowers on the gravestone belonging to her son, Rory, last month at Klein Memorial Park Cemetery in Houston on Jan. 7. Rory died in 2021 after being beaten by a fellow inmate at the Harris County Jail — one of 52 people who died of unnatural causes in the custody of Houston-area jails — and had exhibited mental health concerns over the past decade., The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.
“The holes in the community are big and gaping when you look at access to mental health,” said Lt. Scott Soland with the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office. “A lot of people typically get mental care when they wind up in the criminal justice system or family members force them.
This problem isn’t isolated to the Houston area — but the death rate is lower statewide. Across the state, at least 33% — or 178 — of the more than 540 individuals who died of unnatural causes in jail custody over the past decade had been flagged as potentially mentally ill at least once since the 1980s..
Jail staff can flag mental health indicators at intake during its robust screening process, which not only identifies people who have received state-funded mental health services but also asks questions about mental status, suicidal thoughts and psychotropic medications. This is a dangerous problem for mentally ill defendants, experts say, because it’s not unusual for a person in crisis to be scared of police and become violent.
Experts say more money needs to be directed toward community mental health programs so that individuals can be helped before they reach crisis — and before they ever get in a situation where they interact with police., they say, which as of December had a waitlist of more than 2,500 people. He was diagnosed with bipolar and schizophrenia disorders soon after, launching a yearslong battle for his parents to find the right meds, the right care, the right solution.
That same year, lawmakers shrank the pool of people who could receive care through local mental health authorities, but made it easier for a defendant’s competency to be evaluated. After high school, Rory moved in with his dad. He worked at a movie theater and even enrolled in Job Corps.Closing hospitals
Law enforcement agencies have established crisis intervention teams, which focus on training police in how to identify and handle people with mental illnesses to reduce arrests and connect them with services.to ensure mentally ill defendants were adequately represented. Rowena quickly learned to tamper her excitement when these calls came. His change of heart was a symptom of taking his meds. As soon as he got out of the hospital, he would stop taking them. He would no longer want to be home.
He sat in jail for almost two months before a competency evaluation — to assess Rory’s ability to understand and participate in his legal case — was ordered. , which revised the jail intake screening process to better identify mental illness. It mandated diversion of people with mental health issues to treatment and made it easier for mentally ill or intellectual or developmentally disabled defendants to be released on a personal bond.
Last year, the crisis center admitted nearly 650 individuals, who stayed an average of six days. The majority of these admissions were brought in by law enforcement.“Law enforcement frequently brings folks to the crisis center,” said Shena Ureste, director of behavioral health care services for the Texana Center. “If the center is not funded, we’ll go back to mentally ill residents ending up in jail or clogging up emergency rooms.
“After reviewing the records, the individuals who desired to end their life was greater than our ability to prevent it,” Soland’s statement read. “We agree that suicide is not acceptable, and we strive to protect the lives and safety of the persons detained in our facility.”Rory was leaving the Fiesta Mart near Independence Heights in May 2020 when he was approached by a man who identified himself as a Harris County sheriff’s deputy.
Police reports do not indicate that the deputies ever questioned Rory’s mental health. But even if they had, he was being charged with a felony. He wasn’t eligible for the jail diversion center.For the court to order this assessment, a sheriff or jailer receives information that the defendant might be mentally ill and informs the magistrate within 12 hours of the arrest.
Rory eventually was handcuffed, the report said, but not before biting two deputies and a detention officer.Rory spent another four months in jail before a psychiatric evaluation was ordered.
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