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Carroll County jail superintendent seeks options after mental-health contractor reduces hours; reports training and equipment upgrades
Summary
Jail Superintendent reported a cut in contracted mental-health coverage and outlined options for full-time coverage through the county's medical vendor or hiring in-house. He also described staff training, firearms re-certification and $5,000 in ballistic-vest purchases and said roof repairs were completed.
Superintendent King told the Carroll County Commission Northern Human Services has reduced on-site mental-health coverage at the jail from 24 hours per week to as little as 12 hours per week, and the facility must decide how to replace the lost hours.
King said the county has two options: ask PrimeCare (the jail's medical contractor) for a written proposal to provide full-time mental-health coverage or hire staff under county employment. King said he will request written cost proposals from PrimeCare and return with firm numbers for the board to consider. He told commissioners the current mental-health contract terminates July 18.
King also reported operational items at the facility: a daily boarder count near the low 60s earlier in his report and 21 paying boarders currently distributed among neighboring counties and the state; two full days of staff training were completed; the jail will start a firearm certification program the next week; and the department bought about $5,000 worth of new ballistic vests (one of each size) to replace equipment dating to the late 1990s. Roof repairs at the facility were completed the prior Friday; the contractor filled gaps, added foam board and installed a new membrane.
Why this matters: reduced mental-health coverage affects detainee care, continuity of treatment and liability. The superintendent is seeking costed options to maintain or expand coverage; commissioners asked staff to return with written estimates before making funding decisions.
No final vote was taken on changing service providers; King was directed to obtain written cost estimates and report back to the commission.
