BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — "They just need interaction really,” said Kern County Detentions Sergeant Patrick McNeil. Sgt. McNeil leads the Inmate Stabilization and Assessment Program at the Lerdo Justice Pretrial Facility.
Inmate suicide has always been a concern, but the pandemic increased this risk. With less and less interaction, Sgt. McNeil noticed the impact it was having on the mental health of inmates.
"Inmates were no longer to get out and interact with eachother..no longer visitation," he said. "I just realized somewhere along the lines I could help these people."
In 2020, the Lerdo Justice Pretrial Facility saw a rash of suicide attempts. 49 attempts were made between January to October. During one weekend in September, there were four attempts made. Two were successful.
Sgt. McNeil said it was after that he sent a memo requesting to start the ISAT program. His caseload right now is around 300 inmates with and average of 15 to 20 acute cases.
"I'll keep a low calm voice, offer services," he said. "Sometimes they're just tired, maybe they just need to be left alone for a bit, so we'll come back later."
Prior to ISATs creation, the facility averaged around five suicide attempts a month. Since its start, that number averages one to two attempts per month since 2018. McNeil said since ISAT, they've only seen one successful suicide attempt.
The program not only addressing impacts the pandemic had on inmate mental health, but filling the gaps that were previously there.
"I try to interact with them at least once a week," Sgt. McNeil said. "I know that if my family members were in here suffering from mental illness, I would want them to be taken care of. They might be criminals but they're still someone's family member."
Sgt. McNeil said right now due to staffing shortages they're only able to do so much, but eventually he'd like to see the program grow to better address female inmates, and maintain programs and contact with inmates after they're released through behavioral health.
"It is difficult. they never quite get back to where they were, so it is a little heartbreaking. When you spend so much time trying to get someone well and then they make that choice to no longer be well when they get released," he said. "They're incarcerated, there's nothing they can do about that but one day the won't be incarcerated."
Sgt. McNeil said ideally he'd like to have at least five detentions deputies assigned directly to his team to assist him with the program, something he hasn't had over the last few months due to staffing shortages.
Until then though, he and the deputies assisting him will continue to provide inmates with the best support they and kern behavioral health can offer.
