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Howard County program aims to empty cells, improve mental health

KOKOMO, Ind (WISH) – A Central Indiana county is attacking the mental health issue by getting more inmates out of cells and into treatment.

Each day, deputies at the Howard County criminal justice center find themselves busy with inmates. But there’s a type of inmate officials say they’re becoming known for.

“In Howard County, mental health people have referred to the Howard County jail as the largest mental health facility in the center part of the state,” Howard County Sheriff Steven Rogers said.

Rogers says, on average, 20 percent of the jail’s inmates suffer from a mental illness. That number is presenting problems.

“We certainly aren’t mental health professionals, and that’s what these people need,” Rogers said.

To get help, law enforcement, medical experts and judicial employees created a county mental health diversion program. Instead of spending time behind bars, participants have bi-weekly meetings with a judge, deputy, health experts and attorneys.

“They’ll be on medication, if necessary, and get treatment,” Howard County Superior Court Judge Brant Parry said. “If they have some alcohol and drug issues, they may have some drug and alcohol treatment. Job training skills, etc.”

If they complete the program, the charge gets dropped.

It started two months ago. So far, 30 people have applied, and only seven have been accepted.

The process starts at the jail booking area. Deputies ask inmates health questions, and if necessary, a mental health expert evaluates and recommends them. A goal of this program is to get inmates out of cells as quickly as possible – within 30 days – whereas in the past prosecutors say it could take a minimum of four months to get someone out.

Officials know getting out jail and dropping a criminal charge can be appealing. So that’s why it’s only for people facing a non-violent felony charge.

Officials hope the process will bring them candidates willing to get better, and not people trying to take advantage of the situation.

“I’m very confident but there’s always, for any prosecutor, those ones that slip through the crack and they make the headlines,” Howard County prosecutor Mark McCann said.

Participants can be in the program for as long as two and a half years. While no one has completed it yet, officials are confident it’s a program that will help change the Howard County jail’s reputation.

“There is an issue, and these people are being incarcerated when I believe that if we could just give them some help and some treatment that we could stop that cycle from occurring,” Parry said.

Indiana leaders just recently announced a plan to get more mentally ill inmates out of jails across the state. Law enforcement can recommend they get moved from jails to designated treatment agencies. It’s a program state leaders hope will get people the treatment they need and break the criminal cycle.

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