Failures By San Diego County Jails Have Resulted In Dozens Of Preventable Suicides, Investigation Finds
The report criticizes the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department for not providing appropriate care for seriously mentally ill inmates, particularly noting poor supervision of at-risk inmates and lack of communication among staff.
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Report Finds San Diego Jails Are Failing Inmates With Mental Illness
A new report on suicides in San Diego jails doesn’t mention Moriarty by name, but among the cases it highlights as preventable suicides is one Michelle Moriarty knows is her husband. Hours before he died, a nurse practitioner recommended Heron Moriarty be placed on suicide watch. But a jail sergeant ignored the nurse’s recommendation, the report says. The report was published today by Disability Rights California, which has federal authority to investigate conditions in adult and juvenile detention facilities throughout the state. It’s the result of a years-long investigation into San Diego County jails that included a review of policies and incident reports and interviews with inmates, jail staff and correctional experts. (Davis, 4/25)
In other news on mental health —
Capital Public Radio:
Bill Would Boost Mental Health Counselors At CSUs
Mental health advocates say anxiety is up among college students dealing with things like debt and the cost of living. That's prompted a push for more counselors at California State University campuses. CSU campuses would be required to have at least one full time mental health counselor for every 1,000 students, under legislation passed by the Senate Education Committee. (Milne, 4/25)