Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – The superintendent of the Sangamon County Jail has some ideas about how he can better combat mental health problems within the population.

Larry Beck told the Sangamon County Mental Health Commission Wednesday almost every inmate has some sort of mental health problem, and the only way to effectively treat those with problems, is to give the professionals more room to work in.

“We’re looking at moving some inmates around in the jail, and taking one portion of the jail right now that’s been totally devoted to female inmate population…moving them completely out of there and turning our entire second floor — our medical unit is in there now, but tying the rest of that floor into the medical unit, and making that a mental health ward,” said Beck.

Beck says as it stands right now, with so many orders to keep inmates separate because of various fights and incidents, it’s easier said than done, but a consultant thinks it’s possible.

There are other successes in the jail’s efforts to be more responsive and helpful to mental health needs.

“We’ve coordinated with Court Services to work on discharge planning, including housing, after-care, and other needed services for mentally-ill persons being released from custody,” said Beck.  “We have developed and implemented a medication assistant recovery, or MAR, program, to assist all persons with drug-related issues. many of which spill in to the mental health community.”

Beck says his department attends meetings with other community mental health service organizations, and other relationships have improved, too.  But, he says, problems remain, like the damaging of property by jail inmates, who also still get into fights, getting inmate medical records, and getting those inmates to take their meds while incarcerated.

And then, there’s the issue of staff — those who do work have their own mental health struggles, and the fact there’s not enough staff.

“We’re taking some steps to, maybe, draw in people, and help retain some people,” said Beck.  “I’m down eighteen total employees right now in the jail.  I have 64 correctional officers; I’m down 13 correctional officers, four control room operators.”

Beck says those who do work often put in so much overtime they work to exhaustion, and some are out on medical leave due to injuries sustained in jail attacks, which then lead to PTSD and other problems. Those who leave, he says, can walk across the street to Springfield Police and immediately make $30,000 more per year.

He says one more success is that in the last number of years, of those who have passed away while in custody, only one was due to self-inflicted wounds.