In a broken mental health system, a tiny jail cell becomes an institution of last resort
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In a broken mental health system, a tiny jail cell becomes an institution of last resort
By Katheryn Houghton, KFF Health NewsPOLSON, Mont. — When someone accused of a crime in this small northwestern Montana town needs mental health care, chances are they’ll be locked in a basement jail cell the size of a walk-in closet.Prisoners, some held in this isolation cell for months, have scratched initials and the phrase “love hurts” into the metal door’s brown paint. Their pacing has worn a path into the cement floor. Many are held in a sort of limbo, not convicted of a crime but not stable enough to be released. They sleep on a narrow cot next to ..