As Sheriff, I operate and manage the county’s detention facility, also called the jail. Although my staff and I strive to make the facility the safest place in the county, that is a tall order. Every day, we must keep approximately 105 involuntary residents safe, fed, and healthy. We facilitate access to legal counsel, support contact with family members, prepare and serve three meals a day, and provide transportation to court appearances and medical appointments throughout the state. It is not easy work, and lately, it feels as though the job has become more challenging.
The hard truth is that a jail population generally consists of people who were not dealt many advantages in life and/or made very unwise choices. Many are in poor physical health, some struggle with addiction, and a significant percentage wrestle with mental illness.
Law enforcement officers have known for decades that people with unmet mental health needs often surface in either the emergency department or the criminal justice system. Sadly, society has made little progress devising appropriate alternatives. I should add that Covid made matters worse. Not only did that year of social isolation exacerbate existing mental health problems, but as we adapted to social distancing, we formed some new habits that continue to keep us apart. Increased isolation can be hard on anyone, and mentally fragile people tend to fare worse. I think about the Great Depression and how the stresses of that time echoed for decades, and I believe history will repeat in the post-Covid world.
Mental health resources are scarce, especially for people without insurance. Those in our care who desperately need treatment sometimes languish in our facility, often experiencing severe declines in their level of functioning. Jail, after all, is a place of isolation, and that experience—already difficult for most people—can be dangerous for those with mental illness. Some of our detainees suffer so severely and decline so precipitously that they engage in deeply disturbing behaviors, some of which involve their own excrement.
Possible reasons for this behavior include gaining a sense of control, expressing anger and frustration, or avoiding interactions with others, but that is not why I mention this unsettling practice. I bring it up because we have so many people suffering with mental illness in the facility that what once was rare is now a near-daily occurrence, and it poses a huge challenge for the staff. Can you imagine if, on top of your already difficult duties, you had to regularly clean up urine and feces? What would that do to YOUR mental health?
I’ll tell you what it’s doing to my staff. They are burning out. They are tired. They are finding other jobs, even if it means accepting a pay cut. In recent years, when a shortage of detention officers plagued many agencies, our numbers held steady, but suddenly, our staffing levels are dipping below my comfort level. That said, although it worries me, I choose to focus on the positive. As we know, a pendulum doesn’t swing only one way.
One of our detention officers recently retired and we posted congratulations to her on our Facebook page. Former residents of the jail posted comments, one praising her grace and compassion. Another noted her kind, nonjudgmental approach. The honoree responded that despite the difficulties of the job, she found her career rewarding. She mentioned bonds formed with co-workers and the enduring friendships she built. You can’t buy a better recruitment tool!
I expect significant relief when the Orange County Crisis Diversion Facility (CDF) becomes a reality. By design, it will work in an integrated manner with our population to provide specialized behavioral health treatment to those whose mental health struggles disrupt daily operations of our facility. Incarceration is not a humane response to mental illness; the CDF will provide appropriate treatment in a secure facility at lower cost than a traditional hospitalization. The CDF will have 16 beds in its crisis unit and 12 spots for those who need a slightly less restrictive program of care. Construction will start soon, and this long-anticipated, much-needed resource will help those whose misdeeds stem from mental-health issues, not criminal intent. It will also help improve working conditions for detention officers, whose critical service to this county cannot be overstated.
In essence, I wrote this entire column to express appreciation for the detention center staff. Their work is typically unseen and unsung, but I thought readers would appreciate learning about their dedication despite the present difficulties. When the Crisis Diversion Facility opens, it will ease the burden. In the meantime, I hope you will join me in giving detention officers the respect and support they deserve.
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