WAVE 3 TV Louisville, KY | Suicides in Kentucky's jails are declining
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(LOUISVILLE) -- Suicides in county jails in Kentucky now appear to be significantly declining.
Several officials credit an innovative mental-health program set up by state lawmakers in 2004. During a 30-month stretch in 2004-2006, the nine suicides in Kentucky's 83 county jails occurred at roughly half the rate as they did during a comparable period in 1999-2001, when there were 17 suicides, state records reviewed by The Courier-Journal show. In addition, among just the 74 jails that now use the innovative program called the Kentucky Jail Mental Health Crisis Network, inmate suicides have been running at one-fifth the earlier rate -- a drop that, if sustained, would amount to a wholesale turnaround from 1999-2001. The Crisis Network's designers and other experts believe the program offers a unique approach to a problem that has long bedeviled jails nationwide: It provides a round-the-clock telephone "triage" line, which a jail may call for advice from mental-health professionals about troubled inmates. Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.Comments Terms of Use: We welcome your participation in our community. Please keep your comments civil and on point. Notify us of any inappropriate comments by clicking the “Mark as Offensive” link. You must be at least 13 years of age to post comments. By submitting a comment, you agree to these
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