Estimates nationally say that the percentage of inmates with substance abuse issues are as high as 68%. The portion of individuals with serious mental health issues is 17%, and 59% of those have a co-occurring substance abuse issue. 

 

The workgroup for Allegheny County Prison came up with sets of rules to maintain adequate behavior in jail. According to The Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Allegheny County goes through screening and evaluation. It includes an assessment of the individual’s ability to function in the jail environment. It also checks for the need for behavioral health treatment, and the individual’s risk of injuring oneself or others. 

 

The Allegheny County Department of Human Services also stated that qualified professionals are available to address non-emergency mental health needs. Individuals are also assessed and engaged. They receive cognitive behavioral programming in accordance with best practices. A number of gender-specific services are also available for female prisoners.

 

According to Shelly Bradbury of The Post-Gazette, Allegheny County Jail prisoners who are mentally incompetent to stand for trial are sent to Torrance State Hospital in Westmoreland County. They receive treatment aimed at restoring their competency. While Allegheny County is putting in efforts to send mentally ill prisoners to medical institutions, there is still not enough space to accommodate everyone that needs assistance.

 

According to Behavioral Health Services in the Allegheny County Jail, problems occur because of the lack of consistency within these processes. The services provided, while helpful, are insufficient for the high number of inmates.. Discharge is not usually managed effectively, often due to an unexpected court-ordered release or transfer that does not allow the correct amount of time for careful discharge planning and coordination.

 

According to Judge Beth A. Lazzara, the Allegheny Mental Health Court is “a treatment court designed to provide intensive treatment and supervision for defendants with qualifying criminal charges, who have a documented qualifying mental health diagnosis.” 

 

The MCA, which is a joint program of the Court of Common Pleas, states that they accept cases starting with a referral, which makes sure that it is an adequate document. After that, the case document goes through diagnosis and assessment, which checks the mental health of the patient along with assessing the overall history of the referral. After consent from the defendant to be part of the referral assessment, the MHC vets the referral.

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