Iowa Sheriffs: People with mental illness getting caught up in criminal justice system

Sheriffs Highlight Crisis in Communities Due to Lack of Mental Health Options

DUBUQUE, Iowa (KCRG) – Sheriffs are increasingly calling attention to a crisis in their communities.

They’re saying people with serious mental illness are getting caught up in the criminal justice system because there are so few options.

KCRG TV-9 talked with experts who say people who are ill are languishing, and sitting in jail longer than their initial crimes dictate, as they’re locked up with nowhere to go.

Case Study: Elizabeth Duggan

1. On April 23rd, 2022 police responded to MercyOne’s Emergency Department in Dubuque.
2. A patient, Elizabeth Duggan, had threatened to stab Mercy staff, according to her criminal complaint.
3. She was 43, homeless, and faced a maximum 30 days in jail. She stayed in the Dubuque County Jail for 67.

Dubuque County Sheriff Joe Kennedy says inmates like Duggan can’t pay even a modest $500 bond.

“When you come here on a simple misdemeanor, and you’re being held for four months, your civil rights are basically being violated,” Sheriff Kennedy said. “You’re being held longer than the law really allows.”

Challenges in the Criminal Justice System

• Cases can stall out due to crowded courts, changing attorneys or a competency evaluation.
• The state of Iowa says the wait for the state’s forensic psychiatric hospital in Coralville to conduct a mental health competency evaluation is up to eight weeks.
• “Sometimes they’re set for three months, and we have people sitting here for six months who are still waiting to get an evaluation… On a misdemeanor, where the maximum sentence is 30 days,” Dubuque County Jail Administrator Capt. Michael Muenster said.

Case Study: Jeffrey Smith

1. Another inmate, Jeffrey Smith, has spent more than 200 days in the Dubuque County Jail.
2. Last summer he kept returning to the home he owns, which the city has condemned.
3. When police responded to a neighbor’s complaints at 1261 Thomas Place, they could hear Smith yelling from four blocks away.
4. By the time he was in the Dubuque County Jail he’d resisted arrest, fought with officers and had multiple charges for the incident, according to court records.

The longer he stayed in jail, the more problems he had.

Dubuque County Jail Social Worker Gretchen Bradshaw said because the jail isn’t a mental health institution, there’s only so much she can do.

“I can de-escalate and talk to them, but I’m not doing therapy and especially not on the level they need it,” Bradshaw said.

A criminal complaint shows Smith spit out of the jail holding cell’s tray door, hitting a correctional officer, which added an “assault on persons in certain occupations” charge.

Then his attorney withdrew from his cases.

When the court asked the state to evaluate Smith’s competency, the state responded: the wait list for inpatient services was seven-months long.

So Smith sat, and waited.

“We can keep the community safe by keeping them here, but we’re violating his constitutional right,” Capt. Muenster said.

At the end of February, when the time came for Smith to have his competency hearing,  six months into his stay at the jail, he refused to appear.

The judge still found him incompetent, based on his psychiatric evaluation and long criminal history.

Now he waits for a bed at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center – a wait that’s now three months long.

Challenges in Providing Mental Health Care

• Once a day the Dubuque County Jail tries to get an inmate medical care through a commitment at a nearby psych ward. However, that rarely results in an admission due to the lack of beds and mentally ill inmates not fitting the hospital’s parameters for a behavioral health bed.

Copyright 2024 KCRG. All rights reserved.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

The article addresses the issues of inadequate mental health care for individuals with serious mental illness who end up in the criminal justice system. This connects to SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. It also relates to SDG 10, which focuses on reducing inequalities, as individuals with mental illness face barriers to accessing appropriate care and support. Additionally, the article highlights violations of civil rights and constitutional rights, indicating a connection to SDG 16, which aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
• SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
• SDG 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.

The article highlights the need for improved mental health care to prevent premature mortality and promote mental well-being, aligning with SDG 3.4. It also emphasizes the importance of social inclusion and equal access to justice for individuals with mental illness, supporting SDG 10.2 and SDG 16.3.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Length of stay in jail for individuals with mental illness
• Wait time for mental health competency evaluations
• Availability of mental health beds in psychiatric wards

The article mentions the prolonged stays of individuals with mental illness in jail, indicating a potential indicator for measuring progress towards SDG 3.4. The wait time for mental health competency evaluations and the availability of mental health beds in psychiatric wards can serve as indicators to assess progress towards SDG 16.3 and SDG 10.2.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: kcrg.com

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