When Franklin County Sheriff Kenneth Murphy chatted with a colleague about a frequent inmate, he learned how pervasive the problem of mental illness is in local jails. Murphy was at a jail commanders meeting talking about a young man who had been arrested after he was found preaching naked on the streets of Laurel. A sheriff turned around and told Murphy that same young man had been arrested in neighboring Decatur County for smacking another man over the head with a beer bottle. The young man claimed God had told him to do it. Then the young man attempted suicide by jumping off a bridge in Fayette County. He survived but broke his leg.
Now he is back in the Franklin County Jail. “I think he’s been there more than I have in four years,” Murphy said, “and he has yet to receive any treatment other than what we provide, if you can call that treatment.”
Options for treatment
The interim study committee also heard testimony about potential solutions for addressing the mental health problem. Monroe County is launching a one-year pilot program designed to help the mentally ill avoid jail. According to Linda Brady, chief probation officer for Monroe County, the community is using a grant of roughly $120,000 to fund additional beds and support programs in two local treatment facilities. Also, some probation officers have been shifted to handling only the individuals with serious mental health issues who have been charged with a felony.