Lawmakers to weigh enhancing jail oversight, boosting mental health treatment of inmates
Several inconclusive investigations into Jamycheal Mitchell’s death at Hampton Roads Regional Jail have sharpened a focus on issues relating to mental health in jails and facility oversight heading into the 2017 General Assembly session.
The case of Mitchell, a 24-year-old diagnosed with bipolar disorder who died after being arrested for allegedly stealing $5 in snacks from a convenience store, has spurred a groundswell of support for reform in Virginia.
Mitchell had twice been court-ordered to receive emergency treatment at Eastern State Hospital but was never transferred.
His death came at a time of mounting concern over a pendulum swing from one form of institutionalization to another; although experts across disciplines agree jails are not equipped to treat mental illness, those once viewed as candidates for state hospitals increasingly find themselves behind bars for minor infractions.
Read more: http://www.roanoke.com/news/politics/lawmakers-to-weigh-enhancing-jail-oversight-boosting-mental-health-treatment/article_4998a42d-00dd-5152-a882-0afa4eff1ee4.html
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