By Pam Boyd EAGLE — Colorado has a well-documented lack of mental health support service — too few psychiatric beds, too few community programs, not enough funding.
The one thing the state does have in abundance is need. Combine the two factors together and the law of unintended consequences arises.
“Jails are the de facto mental hospitals, and it’s not just in Colorado. It’s across the country,” said Captain Gregory Van Wyk, jail administrator for the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office. “We see many people who really need to be in a medical facility.”
But with the enactment of Senate Bill 17-207 last year, Colorado has drawn a clear distinction between mental illness and criminal behavior. Committing a crime, as always, will land someone in jail. Having a mental illness episode won’t.
Mental health holds
Since the late 1980s, Eagle County Sheriff James Van Beek has argued against bringing people into the jail solely for mental health holds.
“The jail is not the right place for these people,” Van Beek said. “It’s not a law enforcement problem, it’s a community health problem.”
The new law in Colorado reflects that distinction.
“People can no longer be brought into the jail for non-criminal reasons,” Van Beek said.
So, for example, if someone is …read more
Via:: Vail Daily Newspaper
