STEVE LeBLANC (Associated Press)
BOSTON (AP) — Federal agents announced Tuesday an agreement with Massachusetts state prison officials to ensure better care for State Department of Corrections detainees suffering from serious mental health problems. Did.
The resolution follows the release of a scathing report two years ago by the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office that found troubling conditions inside Massachusetts prison facilities. .
The study, which began in 2018, found that Massachusetts did not adequately supervise incarcerated individuals with mental health crises, did not provide them with adequate mental health care, and had restrictions. They used mental health monitoring for a long time under regulated housing conditions.
Under Tuesday’s agreement, states agreed to improve policies and training related to mental health care.
This improvement aims to ensure that people suffering from mental health crises receive mental health contacts three times daily and that support staff can interact with them during mental health monitoring.
The agreement also calls for the development of “intensive stabilization units” to provide care to people under long-term care supervision who do not meet inpatient requirements.
The state agreed to provide better documentation on increasing mental health treatment for incarcerated individuals experiencing long-term mental health crises. It will play a role in determining the cellular status and privilege of those under health surveillance.
According to a 2020 report, the prison system does not adequately supervise inmates with mental health crises, and prison officials warn that inmates may use personal items such as razors, batteries, or other dangerous items. I did not take away any items that I could use to hurt myself.
Federal authorities alleged that the condition violated the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.
Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachel Rollins said the duty to enforce the law doesn’t end with a conviction.
“When someone is imprisoned and placed in state, local, or federal custody, we ensure that they receive constitutional treatment and appropriate mental and physical health care,” Rollins said. I am obliged to do so.
The agreement also provides for the appointment of an independent monitor, Dr. Reena Kapoor, to ensure compliance. Kapoor is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine.
Massachusetts Department of Corrections Director Carol Missi said, “The Department of Justice is working with the DOJ to advance our common goal of improving mental health care for people experiencing mental health crises. Enthusiastic, transparent and collaborative: “We remain deeply committed to the health and well-being of all who are entrusted with our care.”
The Massachusetts District Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division launched an investigation in 2018.
