NCJ Number
141463
Journal
Large Jail Network Bulletin Volume: 2 Issue: 3 Dated: (March 1991) Pages: 10
Date Published
1991
Length
1 page
Annotation
The improper placement of chronically mentally ill individuals in the jail system in Denver has been solved because of a cooperative effort by the Denver County Courts, the Colorado Division of Mental Health, and the Denver Sheriff's Department.
Abstract
These agencies determined that chronically ill individuals who come into contact with the sheriff's department due to misdemeanor charges should be taken into custody for evaluation to determine whether or not they should be diverted to the State mental health case management system. A psychiatric nurse employed by the sheriff's department reviews the cases of all chronically mentally ill individuals arrested and recommends to the county court that charges against them be dropped. The State case management system is then notified, and the individual is returned to the mental health system. The program has been in effect for the past 2 1/2 years. Currently, the jail is not holding any chronically mentally ill inmates on misdemeanant charges. The psychiatric nurse has an excellent working relationship with the case management system, which makes it possible to return individuals to the mental health system quickly.