A grand jury evaluating the conditions of Multnomah County correctional facilities found that most people in custody are experiencing increasingly severe challenges with mental health, housing and substance abuse.
The annual report estimates that 33% of adults in custody suffer from severe mental health challenges — 50% of the jail population deals with housing issues and 50% deals with substance abuse issues.
The report, put together by the 2019 Multnomah County Corrections Grand Jury, found that jails and detention centers are not the appropriate location for most of the people being held there, arguing that most adults in custody should instead be in a clinical setting where they can receive specialized treatment.
“[W]ith the deinstitutionalization of mental health facilities, jails have become the default option for law enforcement to manage those with mental health challenges who have law enforcement contact,” the report reads.
Grand jurors recommend that Multnomah County jails and detention centers need to “aggressively” pursue proper funding sources for corrections, as well as housing, access to mental health care and the expansion of community addiction services.
“Most correctional institutions across the country are changing the way they operate to ensure the needs of those in custody are fully addressed while simultaneously ensuring public safety,” said Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill.
“Our community should be proud of the work that is already underway that will, with proper funding and resources, divert people with mental illness away from jail and ensure that community-based resources are provided to them in the alternative and in an immediate fashion.”
Recommendations that were deemed “high priority” from the report include filling currently funded job vacancies, noting that there are insufficient staffing levels to meet daily needs. Many staff members currently work at least one mandatory overtime shift a week.
The report also recommends a target ratio of 25 adults in custody to one deputy, as well as open cohort dorms for young men and military veterans. People in custody who don’t need restrictive housing might be placed in an open dorm as an alternative to being placed in a cell. Dorms would offer a safe environment with access to programs.
The county hopes to address these challenges by introducing a Behavioral Health Resource Center, which would offer immediate basic services as well as connections to treatment and transitional housing. The center aims to be completed and operational by September 2021.
Copyright 2019 Oregon Public Broadcasting