Health and Fitness
by (remove) : Flathead Beacon
RSS • JSON • XML • CSV
Health and Fitness
by (remove) : Flathead Beacon
RSS • JSON • XML • CSV

As Community Services Collapse, Experts Say the Mentally Ill are Being Left Behind Bars


Published on 2024-12-13 22:43:18 - Flathead Beacon
  Print publication without navigation

  • When Columbia Falls Police Department officers found Zain Glass on Sept. 20, 2022, he was outside the house he shared with his mother and sister clutching the knife he'd just used to stab his sibling's 22-year-old boyfriend in the stomach.

The article from the Flathead Beacon discusses the escalating mental health crisis in Flathead County, Montana, where the lack of adequate mental health services has led to increased incarceration rates for individuals with mental illnesses. It highlights that jails have become de facto mental health facilities due to the absence of proper treatment centers, with many inmates suffering from untreated mental health conditions. The piece details the strain on the local jail system, which is ill-equipped to handle mental health care, leading to poor outcomes for inmates and increased costs for the county. It also covers efforts by local advocates and officials to address the issue, including calls for more funding, better facilities, and community-based treatment options to divert mentally ill individuals from the criminal justice system into appropriate care settings.

Read the Full Flathead Beacon Article at:
[ https://flatheadbeacon.com/2024/12/13/mental-health-crisis-montana-flathead-county-incarceration/ ]
Contributing Sources