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Sheriff reports rise in juvenile transports; county rolls out two jail nurses and a mobile mental-health unit
Summary
The sheriff told commissioners juvenile transports have increased and reported the county has added two nurses to jail staffing and begun using a mobile mental-health unit; staff said the additions have helped with intake and crisis calls but implementation still has kinks.
Young County's sheriff reported an uptick in juvenile transports and described recent changes to jail health services, including hiring two nurses and beginning to use a mobile mental-health unit to assist people in crisis.
Officials said juvenile transports have grown in number and severity, and the sheriff said those cases have placed additional demands on jail staff. "Those kids have been keeping us busy with, you know, because of their severity and their charge," the sheriff said. The court discussed difficulty finding temporary juvenile housing in nearby counties and the logistical burden of transporting juveniles to distant facilities.
Sheriff's staff described operational improvements: two nurses were added to the jail staff and the mobile mental-health unit was deployed for at least one call. The sheriff credited the nurses and said the unit ‘‘worked out fairly well’’ despite some initial kinks; deputies have participated in required training sessions tied to the program.
Commissioners asked about mileage reimbursements and transport costs; the sheriff said transportation mileage had been high in recent periods because deputies were bringing people to distant facilities and returning them. The county did not provide a numerical total of juvenile transports in the meeting report beyond references to a recent increase; the sheriff and commissioners said the county is responsible for juvenile response and transport until placement is found.
No formal action was taken; the discussion served as an update. Commissioners asked the sheriff to follow up with the auditor regarding reimbursement lines for mileage and transport costs.
