This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Adam Geller, in his Associated Press article ("Jailed, some mentally ill inmates land in lockdown," Sept. 20), observes that "Isolation [and] little if any treatment await many who are thrown in jail with mental-health issues" and that "…inmates with serious mental illnesses are more likely to break rules and stay jailed longer, increasing the chances of weeks or months in isolation that risks inflicting additional psychological damage."
He also notes that "some states have moved to curb long-term 'solitary confinement' in prisons, where research shows it can drive those with mental illnesses further over the edge. But there has been little attention to the use of isolation in the country's 3,300 local jails, the biggest mental health facilities in many communities."
Unfortunately, it is no different here at home. While Utah prison leadership is talking about reducing reliance on segregated housing and punitive isolation in Utah's two state correctional facilities, the use and impact of these constitutionally suspect tools on detainees with mental illness being held at the state's 29 county jails remains largely unexplored.
Consequently, as part of our renewed emphasis on serving the most vulnerable, highest need individuals, the Disability Law Center will be focusing on this critical issue as we visit and monitor each county jail over the next two years.
Aaron M. Kinikini
Legal director, Disability Law Center