This sounds good.
Harris County officials agreed Tuesday to establish a “reintegration center” to reduce the revolving door of mentally ill and homeless prisoners who are a major factor in chronic overcrowding at the county jails.
The discussion of the proposed center occurred as Commissioners Court accepted a consultant’s recommendation to demolish the old county jail at 1301 Franklin.
“There was a commitment by the Commissioners Court not only to explore, but to — in effect — establish such a center. It was absolutely all positive,” said Houston defense lawyer George Parnham. “It’s exciting, and it’s the right thing to do.”
Parnham, who chairs a mental health task force established by Sheriff Adrian Garcia, told the court that approximately 25 percent of the county jail population have mental health issues. In 2008, 92 percent of the inmates with mental problems had been in the jail before, the attorney said.
Parnham said the task force would come up with a proposal for the court to review in a few weeks, outlining services for the estimated 75 to 87 inmates with mental problems who are released from the jail each day. He said the proposed center would provide three to five days of temporary housing, include a small clinic to provide short-term medical care, and offer housing assistance and employ caseworkers to help former inmates re-apply for public benefits.
“What is pleasing is there is a commitment from the court — publicly, verbally — to provide for a reintegration center somewhere, and that’s a great step,” County Judge Ed Emmett said, adding that the location could be determined later.
Agreed. This has been needed for a long time, and the action by the Commissioners yesterday is both humane and fiscally prudent. Whatever it will cost to get this new facility running, it certainly costs more to keep arresting and jailing the inmates that will be served by it. Kudos all around. Stace has more.