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Mental health professional position approved for county jail

Enid News & Eagle - 7/10/2020

Jul. 10--Members of the Garfield County Criminal Justice Authority met Thursday evening and voted to create an overcrowding committee and a position at the county jail for a mental health professional.

The regular meeting at the Garfield County Sheriff's Office came to order at 5:30 p.m. The only member not present was County Commissioner James Simunek.

Jail Administrator Ben Crooks said since the last meeting, held June 16, two employees had left the jail, which currently has 50 employees. He said one of those who left was an existing employee and the other was a person who showed up for one day of training but never returned.

"We're almost there," he said of staffing at the facility. He said this week, 320 hours of training had been completed and another 130 policies had been implemented and released.

Crooks said there were 11 inmates at the jail on suicide watch, which he explained to the board.

"If someone ever says to us 'I feel like I am going to commit suicide, or 'I should commit suicide' or make any mention of suicide we put them on suicide watch," he said. "It causes a lot of attention from us and it's hard to deal with."

He said once placed on suicide watch, the inmate is observed 24 hours a day and an alarm sounds every 15 minutes, with the jailer checking on the inmate and signing a log.

Crooks said mental health problems were increasing at jails as more mental heath facilities are closed.

"Our issues grow and grow and grow and with that so does our liability. We've got to have a mental health professional to evaluate them," he said. Crooks said the jail has to call in someone to do those evaluations.

"I would like to go after at least a 30-hour-a-week, preferably a 40-hour-a-week person, trained to do mental health evaluations for us," he said. "(Sheriff) Jody (Helm) and I have spoken about this since I've been here. It's needed. it's warranted."

Crooks said the aim was to get people to somewhere that could help them.

Trustee David Henneke asked if a psychologist or psychiatrist was needed to fill the position. Crooks said he would have to research who was needed to fulfill their needs.

"I think we've got to have it. I think we need to have it," Henneke said. "I'm all for us looking around trying to find somebody, see who's available and at what cost."

Crooks also told the board the jail's contract with it's health provider, ACH, had not been re-signed since July 2018. He said the way the contract was written it would rollover each July.

He said this year's adjustment to the contract was a standard 3.3% cost-per-inmate increase, which amounts to 33 cents per inmate. The monthly cost of the contract is $28,908 and the annual cost is $346,896.

Henneke moved to approve the new contract, which was seconded by Trustee Larry Rutherford. The motion passed unanimously.

Crooks suggested an overcrowding committee be formed to address inmate population at the jail when it reached 80% capacity or more. He said the committee would include a judicial representative, local police departments, the sheriff's office, a member of the district attorney's office, a defense attorney, the jail administrator and a member of the public.

"Is it a standalone committee or does it go before someone to say 'Here is what we should do?'" Rutherford asked. Crooks said there was nothing set for the committee in policy, just a recommendation that it exist.

"It gives you a vehicle of more alternatives to suggest besides incarceration," Crooks said. "It creates awareness."

"I would make a motion that we establish an overcrowding committee based upon the fact that inmate population is over 80% and that committee be overseen by jail administrator," Rutherford said. Trustee Anthony Clardy seconded the motion.

It passed unanimously.

The meeting adjourned at 6:01 p.m.

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