PANAMA CITY — The off-the-cuff comment the inmate made to the corrections officer was alarming enough to involve one of the Bay County Jail mental health counselors.
The inmate was young, and when the counselor saw him later that day, he seemed to have calmed down, the doctor in the hallway explained to the warden, Commander Rick Anglin. In fact, the counselor thought the inmate might just want attention.
But to be sure, a doctor reviewed the prisoner's medical records. He discovered that the inmate attempted suicide three times in the past year by overdosing on alcohol and a cocktail of pills, a huge red flag.
Now the doctor wanted to remove the prisoner from the general population so that he himself could speak to him, a decision Anglin readily supported.
“Every day we deal with this,” Anglin said. “We are always trying to find the person who is about to fly under the radar.”
To better describe the state of mental health in prisons, Anglin often turns to a political caricature of Michael de Adder. She no longer remembers exactly how she found it, but she shows it to whoever is trying to explain the situation to her.
"That's very realistic," he said. "This is what really happens."
The cartoon shows a brick prison, but a new brick facade has been erected in front of it with a new sign labeling the establishment a mental health facility.
At the Bay County Jail, at any given time, at least 25% of the inmates are being treated for mental health issues with psychiatric medications, which is 250-300 people.
A much larger percentage of the population has a substance abuse condition or some other disorder that is not treated with medication, but it is difficult to come up with an exact statistic to measure.
“We are probably the third largest health center in Bay County,” Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford said. “I have a doctor on staff, a medical director, nurses, LPNs to care for our 11,000 inmates, and of course a part of that is mental health.”
'the inn'
Prisons have become what Ford describes as “the inn that can't fire people,” the meeting place for people who might otherwise be forgotten. Stop taking your meds and commit a nonviolent crime? Prisons will find a place for you, as well as a therapist and treatment. Trying to commit suicide by a police officer? The prison has a special suicide watch wing. Do you need a place to detox and there are no beds available in the municipality? The prison will make room for you.
“Almost every day, people are brought in for detox,” Anglin said.
Some of the people jailed for detox are not even charged with any crime; they just can't find a bed anywhere else.
The challenge is that the prison, built with concrete and rebar, was not physically designed to house mental health treatment. Take the suicide watch room, for example, where 17 men were on suicide watch and another 23 on behavioral observation the day the News Herald visited. A similar situation was occurring in the women's room.
The men were behind the doors of two cages and then locked in their own cells behind bulletproof glass so that the guard on watch had a clear line of sight. The cells were sterile: a pillow on the floor, a blanket that could not be torn, a Bible and a toilet. Depending on the level of suicide prevention surveillance the men had (there are three), they might be given standard clothing instead of a dress made of the same indestructible material as the blanket, or some books. Some people were two to a cell due to space limitations.
The guards, who on a typical assignment would watch 200 to 300 people, have to keep an eye on them constantly. Last week, Anglin said, one inmate turned off the light and tried to use the shards to cut himself, and others found other ways to hurt themselves.
Prison officials have tried to downplay the problems: The glass is a vast improvement over the cable that used to be installed, and in the women's dormitories they have installed recessed lighting, a surprisingly difficult feat with the rebar and concrete. , but they are limited by the design of the prison facility. .
And having someone watch a small group all the time is expensive. Anglin estimated that each guard post spends about half a million dollars of the prison budget. Then, in addition, there is the cost of having a mental health team and paying for the health of the inmates.
In fiscal year 2015, the County Commission staffed nine more detention offices for mental health services, as the prison is funded by local tax dollars. The prison mental health budget exceeds $3 million a year.
same answer
Mental health professionals working outside of prison often say the same thing in response to the situation.
“It's a prison, with health and mental health services as part of the prison,” said Ned Ailes, president and CEO of the Life Management Center. “I think our sheriff, our County Commission, the staff that we have at the jail are very committed to meeting the health and mental health needs of the inmates who are incarcerated there. And they do the best they can with the resources they have, but it's prison; It is not a mental health center.”
In a mental health facility, he said, there are simply more resources that can be dedicated to patients: actual beds, for example.
The popular theory of how prisons became the nation's leading mental health institutions dates back to the Community Mental Health Act of 1963. Before the law, advances in psychiatric medication suddenly made it possible for people to who previously would have been institutionalized live at home. The bill was intended to deinstitutionalize mental health care and use those savings to help fund programs that would allow people to live in their homes.
The law led to a reduction in mental health hospitals and, for a time, funded other mental health programs. But in the 1980s, Ailes said, funding began to dwindle and the number of mental health beds continued to decline.
Without these safety nets, prisons have seen a rise in serious mental health cases.
checking for solutions
Now people are trying to recommit to the original promise of the Community Health Care Act.
The Bay County Community Health Task Force has made prison mental health one of its top priorities and is looking for ways to divert people from prisons to treatment.
Ann Wing, coordinator of the Big Bend Community Based Care network, is on the task force and is currently helping to "map" entry points into the health care system for law enforcement, health care providers, mental health and the justice system can communicate better. She is also working to train police on how to better interact with people with a mental health disorder.
And the Life Management Center, with the help of Rep. Jay Trumbull, is seeking $1.4 million in state funds to create an acute outpatient care system as originally envisioned. The system, Ailes said, would allow health workers to care for people "in the community, in their homes, on the streets" to better care for people who are currently underserved.
After going this far, Ailes said, the money was taken from this year's budget, but Trumbull promised to try again next session. Florida currently ranks 49th in the nation for mental health care funding.
“No amount of money is going to completely fix this,” Ailes said. "But we can seriously change that."
FAQs
What is Chapter 7 mostly about in chains? ›
Summary: Chapter VII
Curzon and Isabel carry buckets of water to the Lockton mansion, where Isabel meets Becky Berry, a kindhearted, no-nonsense servant who teaches her how to work in the house. Becky did not expect the Locktons' return, so she hustles to make tea, clean the house, and purchase lemon cakes.
What advice does Becky offer Isabel before departing on her errands? She tells her to keep moving.
What do the seeds symbolize for Isabel? ›Aside from being a symbol of Isabel's journey toward making her own life, the seeds also represent her faithfulness to her family. By taking Momma's seeds and planting them, Isabel demonstrates her desire to care for Ruth in the absence of her parents and raise her up in a way that would be pleasing to them.
What does Mr Robert want to do on the front steps of the tavern? ›Then, they ride to Newport, stopping at Sullivan's Tavern where Robert Finch hopes to sell Isabel and Ruth. He wants to hold an auction to sell the girls. The girls are befriended by Jenny, the owner of the tavern, and she feeds them.
What is the main problem in the book Chains? ›The main conflict in Chains is between Isabel, the young victim of slavery and oppression, and Madam Anne Lockton, her cruel oppressor.
What is the main theme of Chains? ›Identity. The dehumanization of slavery is a central theme of the novel and so is Isabel's quest to reclaim her identity and humanity. The Lockton's try to erase her identity by forcing the name Sal and brutally ignoring her humanity.
What happened in chapter 32 Chains? ›While the house is crowded, having other women around takes the pressure off Isabel to do all the work. Sarah, a soldier's wife who is expecting a baby, takes over the kitchen and assumes the role Becky once held before she fled. As a result of all this, Isabel's life is disrupted even more than it was before the fire.
What happens to Isabel in Chains? ›Isabel goes through a ton of stuff in this book that no thirteen-year-old should ever have to experience. She loses her father to a slave auction, her mother dies, Madam Lockton sells her sister, Ruth, and she endures physical and emotional agony from her mistress, not to mention near death.
What happened in chapter 44 Chains? ›Isabel plans to steal a boat and cross the river to New Jersey, then walk to Charleston to find Ruth. Something stops her from making a break for it, though: Curzon. He's been her only friend during this hard time without Ruth, and she can't just let him freeze to death in the prison.
What do Chains symbolize? ›Symbolism. The prevalent modern symbolism is oppression, due to the use for a mechanical restriction of the liberty of a human or animal. Chains can also symbolize interconnectivity or interdependence.
Why was Isabel branded in Chains? ›
Isabel runs to Colonel Regan, who cannot help her, and she is dragged to a dungeon. After three hellish days, a judge sentences Isabel to be branded with an “I” on her cheek for Insolence.
What kind of person is Isabel in Chains? ›The novel's protagonist, Isabel is courageous and intelligent with a strong memory and imagination. At thirteen years of age, she faces terrible trials, yet her resilience and persistence see her through. After her branding, she spends weeks in a deep sadness, but she emerges even stronger than before.
What happened in chapter 15 Chains? ›Summary: Chapter XV
Madam tries to beat Ruth with a broom, but Isabel protects Ruth. Lockton enters and stops the violence. He asks about Ruth's “falling sickness.” Madam wants to sell Ruth immediately, believing she is evil and cursed. Ruth is already awake and picking up the peas she has spilled.
They have a giant smack down of a fight that involves various household objects being flung across the bedroom. Lockton continues to have his Loyalist buddies visit over the next several days and asks Isabel to serve them drinks. As a result, she gathers a lot of information about the fallout from Lockton's arrest.
What is the summary of Chains? ›"Chains" is the story of thirteen-year-old slave Isabel's journey to discover her inner strength and fight for her freedom amidst the depravity of slavery and the upheaval of the Revolutionary War that divided America.
How is the conflict resolved in Chains? ›Because Chains is the first installment in a series, there's not as much resolution to the story as you might expect from a novel. Still, Isabel has accomplished her goal: She's rid herself of the Locktons, is a free slave, and has made it across the river to New Jersey.
What disability does Ruth have in the book Chains? ›Isabel's five-year-old sister and also a slave. Ruth, who is suffering from epilepsy, often encounters fits from this sickness. She does not talk very often and does what she is told without question, which becomes the more desirable slave to Mrs. Lockton and she would be kept in Mrs.
What point of view is the book Chains? ›Chains is told in the first-‐ person point of view because the story is narrated by a character (Isabel), we can only see her perspective, and the author uses the pronouns “I” and “me” when referring to the narrator.
Who is the main character in Chains? ›Isabel, the protagonist of Chains is a 13-year-old slave girl owned by a kind Rhode Island woman named Mary Finch. Kind might seem like a poor word choice given that the woman is a slave owner, but in the context of the arduous challenges Isabel is about to face, kind might be the most appropriate word.
What happened at the end of the book Chains? ›The ending of the novel shows Isabel plotting her escape from the Locktons, her Loyalist owners that she spies on for the Patriots.
What is Chapter 1 of Chains mostly about? ›
Summary: Chapter I
The story opens in Rhode Island in May 1776. Young Isabel walks to the funeral of Mary Finch, along with Pastor Weeks, the wagon driver, her “simple” sister Ruth, and Robert Finch, nephew of the deceased. Ruth and Isabel's mother is buried in the same cemetery, dead of smallpox for nearly a year.
On the day Lockton leaves, Isabel goes to the prison early and brings more food. A couple big events happen at the Locktons' in the next few days, including the master's departure for London and the birth of Sarah's baby. She names him George… as in King George… or George Washington. Whatever.
What happened in chapter 35 of chains? ›Isabel's chance to sneak to the prison comes three days later, when Madam and Lady Seymour leave to visit a friend—and in their absence, the soldiers' wives leave to visit their friends. Isabel lines her shoes and cap with newspaper to keep out the wind, grabs her scrap bucket, and walks to the Bridewell Prison.
What happened in chapter 34 of chains? ›The dinner guests include several prominent British officers who spend the meal gloating about the victory at Fort Washington. While they took over three thousand prisoners and this should be a huge triumph, instead they wish that they could just kill them.
Does Isabel ever find Ruth? ›Picking up in June 1781, three years after Forge (2010), this thrilling conclusion to Anderson's Seeds of America trilogy finds former slaves Isobel and Curzon finally locating Isobel's younger sister, Ruth, on a South Carolina plantation.
Does Isabel get freed in Chains? ›Free from the basement, Isabel goes to Lockton's office, where she takes a map of the colonies and fills out a pass signifying that she is a freed slave.
What risk does Isabel take? ›Isabel makes a pact with Dibdin that she will bring food and a blanket if he keeps Curzon alive. But if Curzon dies, she will not return.
What happened in chapter 42 of Chains? ›Isabel thinks of how Lady Seymour is a prisoner in her own body, just as she is enslaved to the Locktons and Curzon is locked in the British prison. Meanwhile, plans for the ball are in full swing, from Madam's gown and makeup to preparation for dancing, fireworks, and an enormous banquet.
What happened in chapter 45 of Chains? ›Saturday, January 18—Sunday, January 19, 1777
Isabel runs the ten blocks from the prison to the wharf, still pushing Curzon, who is pretending to be dead. This can't be an easy job, but she's on fire and freedom is in sight. There are British soldiers up ahead and she isn't sure how she'll get past them.
With her espionage career in full swing, Isabel spends the next two days anxiously waiting to hear from Colonel Regan. She's tormented by Madam's hatred of Ruth and constant threats to sell her, but holds onto the hope that the plot to kill Washington will be uncovered before that happens.
What is the deep meaning of chain? ›
The symbolism of chains has a long and storied history. They are symbols of slavery and imprisonment but also symbols of connection, love and brotherhood.
Why is it called a chain? ›The links were connected to each other by three rings. There were brass handles at each end. People folded the chain up, link by link, and carried it in their hand. The name chain comes from these devices.
What Scriptures say about breaking the chains? ›Psalms 2:3 In-Context
2 The kings of the earth prepare to fight, and their leaders make plans together against the Lord and his appointed one. 3 They say, "Let's break the chains that hold us back and throw off the ropes that tie us down." 4 But the one who sits in heaven laughs; the Lord makes fun of them.
Instead, they allow her to be punished for disobeying her mistress. Isabel has an “I for Insolence” branded on her cheek, and she is dragged through the streets behind a horse cart. After losing her sister and suffering so much physical pain, Isabel grows depressed and hopeless.
What does the I stand for on Isabel in Chains? ›Instead of insolence, the I comes to represent Isabel and her reclaiming of her personhood. Madam Lockton may have tried to break Isabel by sending away her sister, physically abusing her, and even renaming her. Ironically, though, the scar also represents Madam's failure to control Isabel.
How is Isabel comforted after being branded? ›How is Isabel comforted after being branded? The ghosts of her mother and father are there to cool her. Describe Isabel's surroundings and thoughts when she awakens after suffering and hallucinating for days. She thinks she has died or is dreaming because the room and bed are clean and soft.
What is Isabel trying to hear? ›Isabel's Trumpet Quotes in Refugee
Try as she might, she had never heard it, never felt it. She listened now, intently, trying to hear the heartbeat of Cuba in her own music.
Isabel goes to the tavern where Captain Morse is staying and delivers the message. She agrees to return every morning to deliver messages between Morse and the prisoners, even though she's terrified of the consequences. If she doesn't do it, though, Curzon will likely die.
What is the character analysis of Isabel? ›Isabel is the central concern of the novel. She possesses all the attributes of James' typical American. She is innocent, but also intelligent. In contrast to the European such as Madame Merle, she does not possess a great amount of experience, but she does have the capacity to appreciate any new experience.
What happened in chapter 18 of chains? ›A guard marches Hickey from the prison to the gallows while the crowd throws rotten fruit and a dead cat at him. A captain cuts off Hickey's epaulets and buttons, and Ruth stops giggling. A preacher then leads Hickey to the gallows. Curzon says it's only appropriate that Hickey is crying.
What happens in chapter 14 of chains? ›
Saturday, June 22, 1776
Madam escorts Isabel, loaded down with a tray of wine and goodies, to the library. She tries to get a good look around, but her husband ultimately tells her to leave, allowing Isabel to stay and serve.
After the disaster with Ruth's seizure, Isabel finally realizes that there's no way out: She and her sister have to get out of New York, and the plot to kill Washington is powerful enough to help them do it. Isabel breaks into Lockton's library desk and steals the list of names, then sneaks out of the house.
What happens in chapter 12 of chains? ›Becky sends Isabel to fetch Lady Seymour, who lives just north of Trinity Church. Isabel locates the house and walks around to the back, where there's a garden with beautiful roses that Momma would love. A maid with the palest skin Isabel has ever seen opens the door.
What happens in chapter 13 things fall apart? ›Friends move Okonkwo's yams to Obierika's compound for storage. After the family's departure the next morning, a group of village men, carrying out the traditional justice prescribed by the earth goddess, invade Okonkwo's compound and destroy his barn, houses, and animals.
What happens in chapter 11 of chains? ›After her delivery of the news of the Loyalists' bribery to the rebels, Isabel's feeling a renewed sense of optimism. Sooner or later, Bellingham will bust into the house, arrest the Locktons, and whisk her and Ruth away to freedom. Finally, Isabel's wish comes true, and Bellingham arrives with a team of soldiers.
Is Chains based on a true story? ›This appears to be based on the true story of David and Louise Turpin, a California couple who tortured, starved and beat 12 of their 13 children, until January 2018, when one of the girls escaped the home by jumping from the window of a room where the children had been kept prisoner.
What happens in chapter 3 of Chains? ›Monday, May 27, 1776
They travel to a tavern in Newport where Ruth and Isabel will be auctioned off. The owner's wife, Jenny, takes the sisters to the kitchen and gives them food. She tells them that she was a close friend of Momma's, and Isabel begs Jenny to buy her and Ruth, but Jenny says she cannot.
Monday, May 27, 1776
The funeral ends, and Isabel is nervous and jittery. She approaches the pastor, asking him where she and Ruth are to stay while she looks for work—Miss Mary freed the girls in her will, which Isabel read herself after it was composed. Unfortunately, this doesn't go over too well with Robert.
Summary: Chapter 7: The Governor's Hall
Hester pays a visit to Governor Bellingham's mansion. She has two intentions: to deliver a pair of ornate gloves she has made for the governor, and to find out if there is any truth to the rumors that Pearl, now three, may be taken from her.
In Chapter 7 of Things Fall Apart, Ikemefuna, who has become like a son to Okonkwo, is killed by him. Although Okonkwo has been ordered not to actually participate in the killing of Ikemefuna, he ends up striking him down with his machete after Ikemefuna runs toward him.
What is Chapter 7 about in Their Eyes Were Watching God? ›
Janie lives with Joe for years in resigned silence. She gets no emotional support from Joe, and his wealth and the possessions he gives her are of no comfort. Janie considers running away but feels trapped.
What happens in Chapter 7 Maze Runner? ›Summary: Chapter 7
Alby, who has been in the Glade the longest, shows Thomas the four areas of the Glade: the Gardens, where they grow food; the Blood House, where they raise and slaughter animals; the Homestead, where they live; and the Deadheads forest, which contains their graveyard.
Chapter 7 Summary
Baca remembers a confrontation between his father and mother after she married Richard. His father had begged her to return to him and promises that he will quit drinking. She reveals that she loves his father, but she stays with Richard because he is sober and non-violent.
Wilson explains the he's figured out that Myrtle is cheating on him, so he's taking her the way from New York to a different state. Glad that Wilson hasn't figured out who Myrtle is having the affair with, Tom says that he will sell Wilson his car as he promised.
What is the main idea of Chapter 7 of night? ›Chapter 7 of Night
Throughout the ten-day journey from Buna to Buchenwald, the prisoners are doing the best they can to survive by eating only snow; even their own will to remain strong is fading. The survivors watch their fellow prisoners lose their lives day-by-day throughout this horrific journey.
Analysis: Chapters 7–8. Okonkwo disobeys the authority and advice of a clan elder in killing Ikemefuna. His actions are too close to killing a kinsman, which is a grave sin in Igbo culture. Okonkwo is so afraid of looking weak that he is willing to come close to violating tribal law in order to prove otherwise.
What happens at the end of Chapter 7 in A Separate Peace? ›Gene realizes in this final scene of the chapter, then, that Finny — rather than the war — will be his testing ground, his field of honor, his moment of life and death.
What happens in chapters 7 to 9 in things fall apart? ›In fear, Ikemefuna runs to his father, but Okonkwo is afraid of looking weak so he draws his own machete and cuts Ikemefuna down. For the next two days, Okonkwo cannot eat or sleep. He is completely shattered after Ikemefuna´s death. To take his mind off his bad conscience, Okonkwo decides to visit his friend Obierika.
How did Janie change in chapter 7? ›Summary: Chapter 7
She feels her spirit detach from her body; she watches herself work at the store and submit to Jody while her mind is really elsewhere. This detachment allows her to accept stoically a life that she has grown to hate. One day, Janie notices that Jody has begun to look quite old.
Before an audience of porch sitters, she insults his manhood. This is Janie's emancipation, and Joe retaliates by striking her as hard as he can and making her leave the store.
How does Joe insult Janie in chapter 7? ›
How does Joe insult Janie? What does she say about him to retaliate? He keeps talking about her age and how she looks like an "old hen". Janie insults Jody's sagging body and how he looks like the "change of life" when naked.
Is Maze Runner 3 THE END? ›Nowlin, based on the 2011 novel The Death Cure written by James Dashner. It is the sequel to the 2015 film Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials and the third and final installment in the Maze Runner film series.
What happens in chapter 37 of Maze Runner? ›Summary: Chapter 37
The boys take Teresa to the Slammer, blaming her for triggering the Ending. Everyone prepares for a night in the Homestead, trying to barricade the openings to the Maze and gathering weapons and supplies. Thomas visits Teresa at the Slammer, then goes inside the Homestead, and Newt latches the door.
What surprising event happened at the end of chapter 7? A girl came up in the box.