The school shooting has put mental health back on the public policy radar, and in Texas, it is not a pleasant image. In fact, the Harris County Jail is now a symbol of what's become the largest mental health treatment facility in nation's fourth city.
There are about 9,000 inmates at the Harris County Jail, held for everything from misdemeanors to major crimes. But of that number, a fourth are housed in the jail's mental health unit, a psychiatric center of last resort.
"When there are no available treatment resources or facilities outside of the law enforcement correctional environment, then you push the problem over to jails and prisons," Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia said.
The cost is huge. The state has cut mental health funding over the years, to the point it now ranks last in the nation, according to several studies. While outpatient mental health services cost less, in jail, when security, housing and medication is added in, it's estimated to have run about $70 million last year.
"We have 2,100 patients right now. We've been up to as high as 2,500 per month, for a long time," said Mona Lisa Jiles, an administrator with the MHMRA
At the county jail, the inmate patients are stabilized, put on medication, and if they aren't a danger to themselves or others, by law they are released. The problem is to what often it's to the streets.
"I think we always worry about them and often times unfortunately we see them back very soon," said Dr. Michael Seale, the jail's medical director.
With what's happened in Connecticut, there will be a call in the upcoming Texas Legislature to restore some of that mental health funding.
(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more National/World »Connecticut school shooting, national/world, deborah wrigley
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Parents and students from one Fort Bend ISD high school are fighting what they say is the district's efforts to slash the school's fine arts programs. On Monday night, they spoke before the school board, trying to get Austin High School assistant band director Adrian Caswell reinstated. He's been reassigned to an elementary school. Students and parents organized a grass roots effort through Facebook, where they write they want to "open the eyes of the leaders of our administration..." and that they are "blinded by the economic crisis." Fort bend ISD is dealing with a budget shortfall of as much as $70 million. It says there have been cuts to bands district wide, and to sports programs, too. The school district denies any allegation that fine arts programs alone have been the target of cuts. In a statement, the district said: "As a direct result of the State budget shortfall, there was a redistribution of staffing standards throughout the District. Most high schools will continue to have a band director and an assistant band director, as will Austin, according to student enrollment in the band program. Some schools have only one Band Director. Austin will lose the third assistant band director position only. The assistant band director has been reassigned to an elementary campus with the opportunity to apply for any vacancy in the near future." (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »