Douglas County stepping up its efforts to reduce number of people with mental illnesses in local jail

Douglas County is continuing its efforts to reduce the number of people who have serious mental illnesses (SMI) in the local criminal justice system by launching an intensive data-driven project in conjunction with The Council of State Governments Justice Center.

Douglas County will receive intensive technical assistance from the national nonprofit to help them answer core questions about how many people with mental illnesses enter their jail, what their average length of stay is and if they are connected to mental health treatment in the community. The findings from the study will ultimately be used to develop policy recommendations aimed at reducing the prevalence of mental illness in the county jail.

“Douglas County has long been a leader in addressing the mental health needs of individuals in our jail,” said Mike Gaughan, Douglas County Board of Commissioner and member of the Douglas County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. “This latest effort will allow us to better use local resources and ensure our citizens get the treatment that they deserve so that they can lead healthy, productive lives.”

“Most people probably don’t realize that in many instances local law enforcement is the initial contact when encountering individuals in mental health crisis, from responding to 911 calls to connecting these individuals with the help they need,” said Douglas County Sheriff Kenneth McGovern. “We see the devastating impact that this issue has on our community on a daily basis. That’s why we’re committed to joining this new effort and building on our past successes.”

Throughout the project, and at the request of Douglas County, the CSG Justice Center will be conducting an intensive analysis of the county’s criminal justice and behavioral health data in consultation with the Douglas County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and its stakeholders.

“Having an accurate count on the number of people involved in the Douglas County criminal justice system and using that information to create a comprehensive system-wide plan will help us increase and improve services and break the cycle of recidivism,” said Patrick Schmitz, chief executive officer of the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center.

Today’s event is only the latest action that Douglas County has taken to address this issue. In October 2015, Douglas County joined Stepping Up, a national initiative to mobilize local and state leaders to commit to reducing the number of people who have mental illnesses in jails. In May 2018, Douglas was also named one of seven Stepping Up Innovator Counties in the nation in recognition of their efforts to identify people with mental illnesses in jail and consistently collect data on them. Across the country more than 440 counties — six of which are Kansas counties — have also joined Stepping Up.

Funding for the project comes from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and from Douglas County.

The CSG Justice Center is a national nonprofit organization that provides practical, nonpartisan, research-driven strategies and tools to increase public safety and strengthen communities. It serves policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels from all branches of government. For more information about the CSG Justice Center, visit csgjusticecenter.org.