Backlog of inmates with mental health needs grows in Missoula jail (2024)

Missoula County's jail has an increasing number of people waiting for a trip to the state mental health hospital, which local officials warn has become so backed up that the county often has to treat jailed residents.

Both the county attorney and sheriff said the lack of beds at the criminal unitofthe Warm Springscampus has backed up so severely that some prisoners waiting for a mental health evaluation often sit for months in Missoula.

Meanwhile, the county must cover the costs of jailed people. The county has spent $170,000 since October on inmateswho are supposed to be in state custodyat Warm Springs.

On May 21, 18 people were waiting at the Missoula jail for a space at the state hospital, according to Detention Center Commander Sheryl Ziegler. A total of 224 people were in the jail at the same time.

"It's a significant percentage of our population, and just keep in mind every last one of those individuals has been deemed with significant mental health concerns," Ziegler said. "It's a monster resource draw."

The county plans to send a letter to the state Department of Public Health and Human Services to find a solution to the backup. Missoula County Commissioners said during their Tuesday meeting that they also plan to get the larger Montana Association of Counties involved in the discussion.

At the same meeting, County Attorney Matt Jennings said the broken process has set the state back decades, ultimately hurting the inmates, who often need a high level of medical care.

"Warehousing these people in our jails because their mental illness is cycling us back 60 years ago, and the ideas of deinstitutionalization because we weren't treating people with mental illnesses as human beings," Jennings said. "So in some of the efforts we made to improve it, we ended up creating a full circle back to the system injustice for people that need help."

Warm Springs has been on a six-month wait for men and a year-long wait for women, the Missoulian reported late last year.There are two types of inmates waiting for a bed— one for pretrial evaluations and the other for convicted people who need to stay for the long term.

With the lack of space, jail operators told the commissioners they often end up treating the patients involved. For some pretrial inmates, Jennings said some have avoided Warm Springs altogether.

"They aren't going to the hospital for that at all,"Jennings said. "They are waiting nine months, 11 months in jail."

Ziegler said the county jail has tried to fix the situation by giving care to the inmates while in Missoula, like medication and a therapist.Ziegler said the county can provide a limited amount of help, but many times the inmates can simply decline any care.

"Oftentimes they are also spending this lengthy time in isolation, which is also concerning," Ziegler said.

There have usually been a few people waiting for a bed at Warm Springs, butZiegler said since the state only allows certain treatments at the state hospital, the backlog has grown.

Ziegler said there is a larger statewide concern for the smaller jails, which often don't have the same resources as Missoula. She said the Libby jail has two patients waiting for Warm Springs, but zero medical or mental health care.

Of that $300 million, $7.5 million has been allocated for local behavioral health evaluations over the next two years. The money would help send inmates to an examination faster, and overall speed up the process.That money is to be doled out by grants from the state health department, and is unlikely to go to a single applicant or county.

Jennings said none of that money had reached Missoula County yet, blaming a slow, bureaucratic process at the state level.

"Getting them caught up to speed and allocating the money in a way that's going to make a difference is the challenge," Jennings said. "Whether that money is being wasted on, bureaucracy, more experts, more research, or whether we are actually getting that money into the hands of people who will make a difference."

Jon Ebelt, communications director for the department of health, said anew pilot program with the goal of reducing and eventually catching up to the backlogwas launched in March.

"Since that time, DPHHS has continued to conduct outreach with critical stakeholders, including, but not limited to local providers, and county attorneys to promote the new program and increase participation," Ebelt said in a statement. "The Department is working closely and transparently with these stakeholders and continues to consider their feedback to improve program operations and drive participation.”

Lee Montana State News Bureau reporter Seaborn Larson contributed to this story.