Baldwin County Sheriff pens epic mental health care warning for Georgia (Thanks Oconee County Sheriff for sharing)
Dear Law enforcement supporters,
For many years now I have spoken with you about the breakdown of mental health services in our state. Your county jails and state prisons have become the “new mental health facilities.”Today due to the many changes in our lives; especially narcotics and the economic slowdown, over Forty Thousand Georgians are inmates in county jails. I estimate roughly 20 percent have a mental health diagnosis. This means that we are servicing between eight and ten thousand inmates that suffer from a mental illness. In addition with the closure of some of our state hospitals many people in our communities have lost their network of help. Sheriffs and Probate Judges can no longer assist families and guide them to treatment and assistance as in the past.
Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of and there are very few families in Georgia that have not been affected by this illness either with family members, friends or associates in the work place. Today more working people are finding the need for assistance and the resources are diminishing.
It has become very clear to me that as the legislature and state agencies reduce their budgets they do so providing less services and by pushing the cost and the responsibility down to county government. Many people don’t understand this but County Government is mandatory government. We don’t have the pleasure like municipalities to pick and choose what service to provide or to only provide profitable services. One of the mandates of county government is mental health.
County Government is YOUR government. You taxpayers pay for these mandated services. You also have always supported law enforcement and you understand the problems facing us today. Since you are so involved with us I am writing today to advise you of a new cost to us and also what I consider as one of the most offensive pushdowns from state government.
This week I received five (5) invoices from the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Development Disabilities. These billings evidentially are part of a new stance taken by state government. Counties have never before received bills for these services. The billing was from East Central Regional Hospital for treating mentally ill inmates from the Baldwin County Jail in the amount of Thirty nine thousand two hundred and fifty six dollars and fifteen cents. Yes, let me put that in numbers $39,256.15… Their position is that since we had a hold on them (a hold means that they are inmates awaiting charges and must go back to the jail) they are still county inmates and the Baldwin County Jail is responsible for their treatment. What further amazed me were the last two lines in the body of their billing letter which follows: (The jail is legally responsible for medical care of “hold order” individuals. Please consider this when making your decision and approve this patient’s emergency admission to our hospital for the service dates listed above). I believe the second sentence, please consider this in making your decision to approve their admission is the state of Georgia’s way of saying “we are trying to close hospitals, get out of the mental health business so please do not bring us any patients.” It has been known by law enforcement for years that it is increasingly harder to get people admitted than ever before. We have more mentally ill people, fewer bed spaces and the door is harder to open for treatment. Two of the individuals that we received billings for have spent years in and out of hospital settings. One of the two has personally called me from Phoenix City, Tallahassee, Atlanta, Greensboro and many times from Milledgeville with the same message “I am going to kill YOU.” Professionally I don’t want to pay for any treatment but personally I especially don’t want to pay for someone who has been intent on killing me and my family for over 25 years.
I have removed the names and identifiers from these inmates but this is a true history of three of the individuals involved in these billings from East Central Regional Hospital.
1. 34 year old white male. Has been in the Baldwin County Jail 6 times since 1997. He has spent 190 days in our jail has been in 18 jails and correctional institutions throughout the state of Georgia. He is a convicted felon. The following is a list of his charges 1. Disorderly Conduct 2. Marijuana 3. Criminal damage to property 4. Armed Robbery 5. Aggravated Assault 6. Concealed weapon 7. Possession of firearm during commission of a crime. 8. Forgery 9. Theft by deception 10. Burglary 11. Deposit account fraud 12. Felony Probation violation.
2. 64 year old white male. He has been in the Baldwin County Jail 10 times since 1997. He has spent 871 days in the Baldwin County Jail and has been detained in 9 jails and correctional facilities throughout the state of Georgia. The subject is a convicted felon. Charges 1. Cruelty to Children 2. Terroristic Threats and Acts. 3. Simple Assault 4. Burglary 5. Aggravated Assault 6. Aggravated Assault 7. Aggravated Assault 8. Possession of firearm by a convicted felon. 9. Probation violation 10. Disorderly conduct 11. Aggravated Stalking 12. Terroristic Threats and Acts 13. Battery and a felony Probation Violation.
3. Fifty One year old Black Male. He has been in the Baldwin County Jail 24 times since 1989. He has spent 1559 days in the Baldwin County Jail. He has spent 4 years and three months of his life detained in the Baldwin County Jail and has been in 6 jails and correctional facilities throughout the state of Georgia. He is a convicted felon. The following are his charges; 1. Burglary 2. Theft by Taking and theft by deception 3. Burglary 4.Theft by taking 5. Entering Auto 6. Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. 7. Burglary 8. Simple Assault 9. Obstruction 10. Criminal Trespass 11. Dangerous Drugs 12. Simple Battery 13. Simple Battery 14. Theft by Shoplifting 15. Parole Violation 16. Criminal interference to government property 17. Criminal Trespass 18. Obstruction 19. Theft by Taking 20. Parole Violation 21. Criminal Trespass and 22. Rape and Incest.
I cannot estimate the financial cost to Baldwin County caused by just these three individuals. The hours expended in law enforcement response, arrest time, transport, investigations, Court time, housing and food, medical treatment and other law enforcement functions is astronomical. Now the state wants us to pay additional moneys for their treatment in a state facility. Now taxpayers on a local level are being given more and more responsibility to perform what I perceive as a duty of the state. If you disagree with my opinion please contact me for discussion. If you agree please share this message with your facebook friends and inform your legislators that county government should not be burdened with these additional expenses.
Sincerely,
Sheriff Bill Massee, Baldwin County
Past President Georgia Sheriffs Association
FBI NA 208
For many years now I have spoken with you about the breakdown of mental health services in our state. Your county jails and state prisons have become the “new mental health facilities.”Today due to the many changes in our lives; especially narcotics and the economic slowdown, over Forty Thousand Georgians are inmates in county jails. I estimate roughly 20 percent have a mental health diagnosis. This means that we are servicing between eight and ten thousand inmates that suffer from a mental illness. In addition with the closure of some of our state hospitals many people in our communities have lost their network of help. Sheriffs and Probate Judges can no longer assist families and guide them to treatment and assistance as in the past.
Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of and there are very few families in Georgia that have not been affected by this illness either with family members, friends or associates in the work place. Today more working people are finding the need for assistance and the resources are diminishing.
It has become very clear to me that as the legislature and state agencies reduce their budgets they do so providing less services and by pushing the cost and the responsibility down to county government. Many people don’t understand this but County Government is mandatory government. We don’t have the pleasure like municipalities to pick and choose what service to provide or to only provide profitable services. One of the mandates of county government is mental health.
County Government is YOUR government. You taxpayers pay for these mandated services. You also have always supported law enforcement and you understand the problems facing us today. Since you are so involved with us I am writing today to advise you of a new cost to us and also what I consider as one of the most offensive pushdowns from state government.
This week I received five (5) invoices from the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Development Disabilities. These billings evidentially are part of a new stance taken by state government. Counties have never before received bills for these services. The billing was from East Central Regional Hospital for treating mentally ill inmates from the Baldwin County Jail in the amount of Thirty nine thousand two hundred and fifty six dollars and fifteen cents. Yes, let me put that in numbers $39,256.15… Their position is that since we had a hold on them (a hold means that they are inmates awaiting charges and must go back to the jail) they are still county inmates and the Baldwin County Jail is responsible for their treatment. What further amazed me were the last two lines in the body of their billing letter which follows: (The jail is legally responsible for medical care of “hold order” individuals. Please consider this when making your decision and approve this patient’s emergency admission to our hospital for the service dates listed above). I believe the second sentence, please consider this in making your decision to approve their admission is the state of Georgia’s way of saying “we are trying to close hospitals, get out of the mental health business so please do not bring us any patients.” It has been known by law enforcement for years that it is increasingly harder to get people admitted than ever before. We have more mentally ill people, fewer bed spaces and the door is harder to open for treatment. Two of the individuals that we received billings for have spent years in and out of hospital settings. One of the two has personally called me from Phoenix City, Tallahassee, Atlanta, Greensboro and many times from Milledgeville with the same message “I am going to kill YOU.” Professionally I don’t want to pay for any treatment but personally I especially don’t want to pay for someone who has been intent on killing me and my family for over 25 years.
I have removed the names and identifiers from these inmates but this is a true history of three of the individuals involved in these billings from East Central Regional Hospital.
1. 34 year old white male. Has been in the Baldwin County Jail 6 times since 1997. He has spent 190 days in our jail has been in 18 jails and correctional institutions throughout the state of Georgia. He is a convicted felon. The following is a list of his charges 1. Disorderly Conduct 2. Marijuana 3. Criminal damage to property 4. Armed Robbery 5. Aggravated Assault 6. Concealed weapon 7. Possession of firearm during commission of a crime. 8. Forgery 9. Theft by deception 10. Burglary 11. Deposit account fraud 12. Felony Probation violation.
2. 64 year old white male. He has been in the Baldwin County Jail 10 times since 1997. He has spent 871 days in the Baldwin County Jail and has been detained in 9 jails and correctional facilities throughout the state of Georgia. The subject is a convicted felon. Charges 1. Cruelty to Children 2. Terroristic Threats and Acts. 3. Simple Assault 4. Burglary 5. Aggravated Assault 6. Aggravated Assault 7. Aggravated Assault 8. Possession of firearm by a convicted felon. 9. Probation violation 10. Disorderly conduct 11. Aggravated Stalking 12. Terroristic Threats and Acts 13. Battery and a felony Probation Violation.
3. Fifty One year old Black Male. He has been in the Baldwin County Jail 24 times since 1989. He has spent 1559 days in the Baldwin County Jail. He has spent 4 years and three months of his life detained in the Baldwin County Jail and has been in 6 jails and correctional facilities throughout the state of Georgia. He is a convicted felon. The following are his charges; 1. Burglary 2. Theft by Taking and theft by deception 3. Burglary 4.Theft by taking 5. Entering Auto 6. Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. 7. Burglary 8. Simple Assault 9. Obstruction 10. Criminal Trespass 11. Dangerous Drugs 12. Simple Battery 13. Simple Battery 14. Theft by Shoplifting 15. Parole Violation 16. Criminal interference to government property 17. Criminal Trespass 18. Obstruction 19. Theft by Taking 20. Parole Violation 21. Criminal Trespass and 22. Rape and Incest.
I cannot estimate the financial cost to Baldwin County caused by just these three individuals. The hours expended in law enforcement response, arrest time, transport, investigations, Court time, housing and food, medical treatment and other law enforcement functions is astronomical. Now the state wants us to pay additional moneys for their treatment in a state facility. Now taxpayers on a local level are being given more and more responsibility to perform what I perceive as a duty of the state. If you disagree with my opinion please contact me for discussion. If you agree please share this message with your facebook friends and inform your legislators that county government should not be burdened with these additional expenses.
Sincerely,
Sheriff Bill Massee, Baldwin County
Past President Georgia Sheriffs Association
FBI NA 208
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