A growing concern among Wyoming sheriffs is the increasing number of inmates with mental health issues being held in county jails for extended periods, awaiting transfer to the state mental hospital, Oil City News reports.
Fourteen of the state’s 23 sheriffs have now signed a letter urging the state legislature to shift the financial burden of housing these inmates to the Wyoming Department of Health.
For years, Wyoming’s sheriffs have expressed frustration over the long waits for inmates ordered by judges to undergo mental health evaluations and treatment at the Wyoming State Hospital. Uinta County Sheriff Andy Kopp, who drafted the letter, explained that jails are now housing individuals with mental illnesses for longer than ever, often for months. This situation not only strains jail staff and county budgets but also prevents inmates from receiving the timely care they need.
“Without timely and adequate resources or support systems, many of these individuals continue to suffer and deteriorate more,” Kopp wrote.
According to a WyoFile investigation, Wyoming has one of the highest rates of jail suicides in the country, which has only heightened concerns about the treatment of mentally ill inmates. The sheriffs are particularly frustrated with delays in the transfer of inmates to the state hospital, which is in Evanston. Under current law, individuals ordered to the hospital for mental competency evaluations are supposed to be transferred within 10 days. However, the Wyoming State Hospital has long struggled with capacity issues, driven by staff shortages and increasing demand for beds. Only 25% of the hospital’s 104 beds are dedicated to individuals from the criminal justice system, with the remaining beds reserved for civil cases.
In some cases, individuals are waiting for as long as six months in county jails before receiving their mental health evaluations. This delay can sometimes exceed the length of time an individual would serve if convicted of the crime for which they are charged. Sheriff Kopp described the situation as a form of excessive punishment, noting that many of these individuals have not yet been tried for their alleged crimes.
County jails, often understaffed and not equipped to handle mental health crises, are ill-prepared to care for these inmates, who may be at risk of self-harm. Additionally, the financial burden of housing inmates awaiting transfer to the state hospital falls on local governments. Kopp and other sheriffs believe that the state should bear the costs of housing these individuals, as the capacity issues at the state hospital are a state responsibility.
The financial strain is considerable. In Uinta County, for example, the jail charges the health department $70 a day for each day an inmate is held after the 10-day transfer window has passed. However, the health department has consistently rejected these bills, leaving Kopp with an outstanding balance of over $700,000 since 2018.
The Wyoming Department of Health acknowledges the challenges but notes that state law currently does not allow the department to reimburse sheriffs for the cost of holding inmates awaiting admission to the state hospital. Kim Deti, a spokesperson for the department, explained that the department is working to improve the system by prioritizing treatment programs that can keep inmates out of the jail-to-hospital pipeline, including a new “telepsych” program that allows inmates to be evaluated remotely. However, Deti emphasized that the department lacks the authority to reimburse counties for housing costs under current law.
While the sheriffs involved in the letter are asking the legislature to address this issue by directing the Department of Health to cover the costs, they also understand the broader challenges facing the state’s mental health system. Kopp suggested that the state legislature must recognize the gravity of the situation and provide the necessary resources to address the capacity issues at the state hospital.
A new bill, House Bill 52, introduced by the Wyoming Attorney General, could further complicate the situation. The bill, which would allow the state to appeal rulings that a defendant is mentally incompetent, may lead to even longer delays in transferring inmates to the state hospital, potentially exacerbating the strain on county jails.
Ultimately, sheriffs like Kopp, Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken, and Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak are calling for a more comprehensive solution. They believe that the state must allocate the necessary resources to the state hospital to ensure it can handle its growing caseload and that counties should be reimbursed for the costs incurred while awaiting transfers.
