Local Judge Discusses Lack of Mental Health Resources in Tom Green County

 

Previously, San Angelo LIVE! reported on the high cost to Tom Green County taxpayers for people who sit in jail waiting for a conviction. Many of the men and women in the Tom Green County Jail cannot afford the bonds set, so their chances of re-offending increase.

As of 2013, the TGCJ witnessed about 381 people on average through its cells, and 70 percent of the pre-trial population sat in jail because of poverty (read more here).

We also explained how, because of the cost to taxpayers and the negative effects sitting in jail has on low-risk offenders, members of the Texas Judicial Council formed a Criminal Justice Committee last summer to review pre-trial practices in the state to determine appropriate changes (read that article here).

In addition to these problems, Tom Green County Judge Ben Woodward wanted to address another major issue facing inmates, judges and taxpayers: the lack of mental health treatment and resources.

The Statistics

According to the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, Texas ranks 50th nationally out of 52 jurisdictions in State Mental Health Agency per-capita expenditures. Additionally, the Texas’ Department of State Health Services notes that only 31 percent of Texas adults with severe and persistent mental illness have received services through DSHS. The agency also states that Texas’ mental health hospital system is outdated, facilities are not located in areas of greatest need and there are gaps in crisis services and prevention.

“Mental health treatment providers are scarce in many Texas correctional facilities (including private and state-operated prisons, state jails, transfer facilities, and others),” stated TCJC. “As of August 31, 2013, over 40 of the 112 facilities listed in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s directory had no mental health employees on site, despite some units having a maximum capacity of nearly 1,400 inmates.”

Because of these issues, many groups, including the Criminal Justice Committee, are seeking reform through the Texas Legislature.

The Problem in Tom Green County

Last month, Judge Ben Woodward dealt with an extreme mental health case where a San Angelo man in jail stayed at a mental health facility in Big Spring since 2010. It took six years and a lot of frustration to resolve this man’s case. Last month, he was finally competent enough to stand trial. Woodward said the man is schizophrenic, but he finally had his medication balanced out in a way that helped. In addition to being schizophrenic, the man is part of the poverty population and has no resources outside of jail to keep him going on the right path. He had no place to go once released.

"If he has no place to go, we're worried he'll stop taking his medication," Woodward explained.

With the cooperation of the Tom Green County Sheriff's office, MHMR set him up with services, but Woodward ordered, as a condition of probation, for the man to sit in jail for two days. The man thanked him.

Woodward said many of the inmates in TGCJ with mental health issues fall through the cracks of the justice system because of a lack of manpower and money.

If Tom Green County had the resources like Lubbock, these inmates could get the services they need, and the burden on taxpayers would lessen.

"Lubbock’s experience is 40 percent of their jail population dropped when they were able to get [their inmates] mental health services," Woodward said.

Lubbock not only has the money for resources, but it also has an extra administrator. David Slayton, now Executive Director of the Office of Court Administration, used to hold that position.

“So when he sets his mind to do something, he has the knowledge, background and education to pull things together,” explained Woodward.

This is exactly what Tom Green County needs. With money, the County could hire someone with the appropriate training to “evaluate people, set up an effective structure and get things rolling,” said Woodward.

“Then we have to have cooperation with MHMR,” he noted. “We might be sending them a lot more people then they can handle."

Judges would also need access to more information. Woodward said judges don’t know when people have a pending mental health problem or caseload because of privacy laws.

Woodward added that people getting thrown in jail and sitting there isn’t the only frustration.

“The other area that we're having frustrations with in mental health is, a person cannot be brought to trial unless they're competent,” he said. “That means they understand the charges; they can communicate with their attorney; they can recall facts about the circumstances; they can make rational decisions."

If inmates are not competent, the judges send them to Big Spring and commit them so professionals there can try to restore their competence. However, Big Spring is “understaffed and undermanned,” added Woodward. He said it takes time to get people in, and the staff will sometimes send people back saying they're competent.

"We're not convinced they are," Woodward noted. "They just got to move their patients."

Judge Woodward said these people end up back in jail, and their lawyers say they can't proceed because of competence, so the inmates remain in a limbo because the judges don’t know what to do with them.

Woodward also said, in many cases, inmates don't become competent so the judges will commit them to a long-term facility. 

"They have to stay at a long-term mental health facility until they actually do become competent," he said.

Or, they've been there the equivalent of a prison sentence and can't go beyond that. Woodward said it's hard getting them into such a facility.

"We've had people stay in Tom Green County for months waiting for a bed at a mental health facility," he stated.

Depending on the crime, these inmates go to specific places. For violent crimes, the inmates go to Vernon and Kerrville. If they’re not violent offenders, they go to Big Spring.

Judge Woodward said another issue has to do with drug testing for cases that correlate with mental illness. Currently, DPS runs the chemical labs that do all the scientific testing, but those labs get backed up.

"They've been addressing those through the DPS procedures, and have realigned somewhat where they send some of their evidence to be tested," Woodward said. “They're trying to balance out the caseload and trying to address that in house, but they need more chemists and labs.”

Woodward said these problems have to be addressed by the Texas Legislature. Until this major problem is addressed, and counties like Tom Green are provided with the proper resources, many inmates will continue to sit in TGCJ when they should be getting mental health treatment. Also, taxpayers will continue to fit the bill.

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My father in law was one of many ones that sit in the TGCJ for over a year they knew he had mental problems but they did not know what to with him because they have no where to put him to get the help he needed. They finally had his trial he was found guilty which he was they give him Probation understanding that he left Tom Green County. He moved in with his brother and sister in law it took him getting pickup in that County to get the help he needed. He is in a Forth Worth Texas in a Nursing Home getting the medication he needs and doing good. My wife can't see her Father like she would like to because of the distance and the cost of going to see him. Tom Green County needs the places to take care of people with mental health problems for one thing the county dose not want to pay for what it would cost to help them they would weather put them in jail instead of getting them the help. I hope one day they will be able to help them.

There are at least 3 buildings in San Angelo that have MHMR on them. What do they do? I thought they were there to take care of the mental health of residents of Tom Green County. Please let me know if I am wrong. If I am right, are they using their funding efficiently?

They are like a out patient if you think you need help you can go in but they do not help the mental health deputies are the ones that are in jail that need help the cause of mental illness

We no longer have the San Angelo State School--it is a prison disguised as a facility for treatment for MHMR. The state budget for MHMR funding has repeatedly been slashed, over and over, so other more important funding could take place to attract businesses like tollway investment company to replace infrastructure (now long gone, with the state/voting public holding the bag). I'm not pro-Democrat, anti-Republican. I'm simply saying that it makes no sense/cents to slash what keeps the peace and public interest/safety in place. It costs money to keep peace/safety in place, and people are going to have to decide, once and for all, what they are willing to live with--taxes or crime. Do you want your kids growing up as meth heads? Or do you want them growing up in a town you can be proud of where the headlines are about local events that don't involve the latest gang shooting or meth head car chase through town? It's time to invest in our communities again and replace what has been stripped away.

I bright up this issue about my son, he is bipolar, as I am. Unfortunately that is where similarities end. Where I found help, my son has found nothing but imprisonment and basically has been tossed out of society. Out of sight, out of mind. Sad really. Suicides in jail... I'm sceptical of that one anyway. Why? Undermanned or just don't care. Either way SAD....

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