The Henry County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to pass a resolution in support of a national initiative intended to decriminalize and bring attention to mental illness within the Henry County Jail.

According to officials, the “Stepping Up Initiative” is meant to “reduce the number of incarcerated individuals who are experiencing symptoms of mental illness and who would be better served in a mental health treatment environment.”

Henry County Superior Court Chief Judge Brian Amero presented support for the initiative and said that severe persistent mental illness (SPMI), which includes diseases such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder with psychotic traits, and the like, is severely debilitating to those afflicted and their caregivers. And while four percent of the general population suffers from SPMI, a disproportionate number of people in the jail suffer from SPMI. In fact, in the jail population the number is five times greater.

“For all of these reasons, we are asking the county to join us in this effort, support the Stepping Up resolution and commit that the county entities that touch the mentally ill in our community such as the Henry County 911 and Police Departments as well as so many others will actively and fully participate in this important work,” said Amero.

He said the resolution is a huge step to addressing a major issue within the general population of the jail. According to Amero, out of 900 total inmates, 21 percent or 189 inmates suffer from some form of SPMI.

Henry County Sheriff Reginald Scandrett said his office has looked at various methods to get these inmates help, including separating the inmates from the general population.

“We’ve been able to take a look at each and every one of these inmates to try to get them the help they need from a medical perspective to ensure that it is not a continuing problem for the jail overall,” said Scandrett.

Dr. William Brickhouse, who serves as a physician for the Sheriff’s Office estimates that care for these inmates can run more than $3 million annually.

“It’s going to take a village and all of us working together. I think we’ll help to bring about some improvement in this situation for Henry County,” added Brickhouse.

As part of the initiative, Henry County will examine treatment and service capacity to determine which programs and services are available in the county for people with mental illnesses and co-occurring substance use disorders and identify state and local policy and funding barriers to minimize contact with justice systems and provide treatment that supports the community and offers true rehabilitation.

The Board of Commissioners, Sheriff’s Office, several judges and Dr. Brickhouse will meet in the coming weeks to discuss the next steps in implementing the resolution.