Inmates in suicide-proof gowns scream and bang on their cell doors one floor below Terri McDonald\u2019s office in the Twin Towers Correctional Facility. The bedlam is a reminder, if she needs one, that the mentally ill population in the largest U.S. jail system is out of control.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a \u201cshameful social and public-safety issue,\u201d\u009d said McDonald, the assistant sheriff who runs Los Angeles County\u2019s jails. \u201cI believe we can do better. I believe at some point in the future we\u2019ll look back and wonder, \u201d\u02dcWhat took so long?\u2019\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s been a question for years. Conditions for mentally ill inmates in the county have been a focus of federal probes since 1997, and the number with psychiatric disorders was an issue in a recent debate over a new jail. Keeping a mentally ill person behind bars can cost more than $50,000 annually, while treatment could run two-thirds less. Criminal justice systems from Seattle to Miami with aggressive jail-diversion efforts have cut inmate headcounts — and lowered recidivism rates.<\/p>\n