The New Asylum

by Jessica Arrasmith,

Student Intern (Franklin County Sheriff’s Office)

Starting in the fall semester of 2017, I had the opportunity to be a part of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Externship Program. As part of the program, I spent six weeks in the FCSO Correctional Center II, which is more commonly known as the Jackson Pike Jail, where I shadowed the Mental Health Coordinator, Doug Hahn. I also had the opportunity to observe the mental health coordinator, Teresa Shaver, in the FCSO Correctional Center I, and go on a probate ride along with the Warrants and Extraditions Unit. I had the opportunity to participate in their crisis intervention training, and also went on a case manager ride along in the community. I was particularly interested in this internship because of my interest in mental health and corrections. I got a lot of crazy looks when I told people that I thought corrections was “fun,” so I learned how to say it in a way that did not make me sound so crazy. I chose corrections because I am fascinated by the culture inside a correctional facility, curious about inmate access to services that support the reduction of recidivism, and interested in the dynamics of re-entry.

My main focus during the semester was the access inmates living with mental illnesses have to treatment in the central Ohio correctional centers. As a result, I concluded that while inmates in the correctional centers have access to mental health resources, currently they do not have enough resources to make a difference. What I mean by that is that inmates face numerous barriers to treatment. There is a focus on short-term care and virtually no long-term care solutions. Upon release, they have a limited supply of assistance and when that runs out, they often get cycled back into the system.  It is just a cycle that is hard to escape.  It is very difficult for these people to find housing in the community.  Basic support services such as finding where to get their medications, and even lack of psychiatrists to even prescribe their medication for them is an ongoing concern. Another barrier that they face is the fact that there are not enough beds and or institutions for them to stay when in crisis.  Even if they are lucky enough to get a bed, they cannot be made to stay and participate in treatment even with a court order. Unfortunately, many mentally ill inmates find that the jail is the safest place for them, they get a warm bed, free medical care and food, and there are fewer threats to their safety. Some former inmates had indicated that they will reoffend strictly to have a safe place to stay and to get access to their medications. I did learn that in Franklin County there are that there are roughly 1,100 mentally ill inmates in the jails with only 13 full time mental health professionals. That means that there are roughly 85 mentally ill inmates per 1 mental health professional. There are a number of minor issues that they face, but when put together creates a series of major problems.

All of this points to the idea that our jails and prisons are becoming the new “asylum.” Society is paying money to house individuals in the jails but that does not really help them and sometimes it even makes them worse. In a 2015 article by Michael Rouan, Franklin County Chief Deputy Geoff Stobart was quoted by saying, “The jails have become a de facto holding ground for the mentally ill, and our jails were not designed to be a mental health facility.” In that same article, Betsy Johnson, The Associate Executive Director at the National Alliance of Mental Illness - Ohio was quoted by saying, “In some cases, mentally ill inmates commit a more serious crime in jail which results in longer stays. They need treatment before they commit a crime. More than 1/3 of mentally ill inmates do not receive treatment the year after they are released” (Rouan, 2015). That number captured my attention.  If you think about the 1,100 current mentally ill inmates, 33% of them, which is roughly 367 people, do not have access to treatment a year after they are released.

As I neared the end of my externship program, I was encouraged to come up with some possible solutions to suggest to the administrators. Some ideas that came to mind after meeting with and talking to members of the Sheriff’s office were:  1) An increase in reentry support and programing such as having people in the community show them where to go to get their medication; 2) Assistance as to where to go to get community housing; and, 3) Assistance with transportation from one to another in the community. I also suggested more money allocated towards mental health resources such as beds, institutions, and the hiring of mental health professionals. Further, upon release, not placing restored citizens in housing where they are close to the areas in which they had gotten into trouble in the first place.

In the same article by Rouan, the former Policy Director for Franklin County Commissioner Marilyn Brown, Michael Daniels stated, “The county could save five to twelve million dollars a year by reducing the number of mentally ill inmates by 40 % (Rouan 2015).” That savings could potentially be put toward the possible solutions previously suggested. I also had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Chief Deputy Stobart, who is the responsible for oversight for the building of the new jail. He indicated that there are plans for an increase in support services. The people who are being detained that are going through similar life experiences, will be housed together. This is an efficient plan because that when program managers come to do intervention  groups, they only have to have the program manager report to the specific dorm and not have to contend with transporting individuals room to room for groups.

The internship program was a great experience and I learned a great deal about the correctional system, the law enforcement system, the mental health system, and how they all come together and work towards the greater good. Most importantly, I have open access and the opportunity to ask the people staying in the jails what they thought the barriers were that caused them most difficulty.  I learned a great deal from my face to face experiences with the residents and this certainly solidified my interest in this area as a career.

I want to extend my gratitude to everyone at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office for permitting me have the opportunity to see how the facilities operate, ask questions, and research as to how to move away from the reality of jails becoming the new asylum.