Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion co-authored by Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Janice Hahn that will create a special unit at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility to care for acutely mentally ill inmates.
“We have a growing number of inmates in distress who need emergency mental health services,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “I commend the Department of Health Services-Correctional Health Services for developing a creative proposal that will convert an existing space in the jail into an intensive care unit for inmates who need to be stabilized so they are not a danger to themselves or others. These 16 beds are an important step forward and reflect the County’s efforts to do what it can to treat and care for the most acutely mentally ill.”
“We know how important quickly responding to someone in a mental health crisis is to getting them stabilized and preventing their condition from worsening,” Supervisor Janice Hahn stated. “This new unit in Twin Towers will mean people experiencing a mental health crisis in our jail can get immediate treatment so they don’t languish and deteriorate further.”
According to data provided by Correctional Health Services, there are approximately 6,800 inmates housed in L.A. County’s correctional facilities participating in jail mental health programs. Approximately 12% of those individuals are acutely mentally ill. On average, 40 or more acutely mentally ill inmates are booked on a daily basis.
The maximum capacity of the forthcoming Jail Inpatient Unit will be 16 beds due to state limits, but it may be expanded in the future if approved by California Correctional Health Care Services and the County’s Mental Health Director.
In October 2022, the Board of Supervisors approved $13M to fund a series of initiatives to expand the County’s Medication Assisted Treatment program throughout its jails and the conversion of Pitchess Detention Center North to moderate observation housing. The initiatives were part of the County’s plan to address compliance with the Department of Justice’s Settlement Agreement.