King County audit finds gaps in jail behavioral health medication access and release supplies

On July 15, auditors from the King County Auditor’s Office presented findings from an audit of behavioral health medication practices at King County’s downtown jail to the Whatcom County Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force behavioral health committee.

Basil Hariri of the King County Auditor’s Office summarized the audit’s primary finding: “We generally found that jail health services treats patients with acute symptoms quickly within 24 hours, but those with less obvious symptoms can wait a month or more, and are often released before seeing a provider.” He said most behavioral-health medication orders are placed within two days of booking and most doses are administered within 24 hours of ordering, but some medications required a psychiatric clinic appointment and those appointments often occur after release.

Auditor Elise Garvey described two other core findings: medication…