NEWS

January 04, 2010
DOCS opens new facility for mentally ill inmates

The first seven men have moved into a new mental health unit at an upstate prison designed to treat inmates with serious mental illnesses and disciplinary problems. The 100-bed residential mental health unit at the male, medium-security Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County was developed by the state Department of Correctional Services and the state Office of Mental Health as a result of a lawsuit involving Disability Advocates, Inc., a nonprofit advocacy organization.

The facility will serve inmates suffering from severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, delusional disorders, brief psychotic disorders, substance-induced psychotic disorders, major depressive disorders and bipolar disorder who would typically be serving 23-hour-a-day confinement. Of the 58,690 inmates in New York, 7,844 have been diagnosed with a mental illness, including 2,359 who have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness, according to Erik Kriss, director of public information at DOCS.

Approximately 200 of those with serious mental illness have confinement sanctions for disciplinary violations. The new unit will have approximately 126 employees, including 100 workers from DOCS and 26 workers from OMH. The former special housing unit, or S-block, at the prison was renovated in 2007 at a cost of $23.5 million.

A similar facility for female inmates is located at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Westchester County and another 60-bed residential mental health unit is scheduled to open at Five Points Correctional facility in Seneca County during the 2011-2012 fiscal year. "This cutting-edge program represents government at its best by providing a long-term approach to a difficult problem that is both humane and cost-effective," said Gov. David A. Paterson. "New York is once again leading the nation, in this case by creating a holistic environment for the treatment and care of perhaps the most challenging population within the state prison system."

In 2002, Disability Advocates, Inc. filed a lawsuit against the state because the group alleged there was inadequate treatment for mentally ill inmates. A private settlement was reached in 2007 and the state agreed to develop the residential mental health unit. The 57,000-square-foot building includes office space for DOCS and OMH staff attached to a secure inmate housing unit.

Every employee received seven days of special training before the unit opened. The new facility will allow inmate patients four hours per day outside of their cell to attend treatment programs in open group settings. Inmates who have shown signs of progression will be allowed out of their cell for exercise and other activities. The treatment programs conducted in the unit will help mentally ill inmates to understand and manage their illnesses better, so they can get along in a more social environment, said Kriss.

The programs are also designed to help inmates develop skills and transition into general population or back into society outside of prison. "This new program specifically concerns itself with offenders who have demonstrated serious problems adhering to prison rules, often as the result of their mental health difficulties," said DOCS Commissioner Brian Fischer.

In December 2007, OMH began screening every inmate entering state prisons for mental health needs and determining the type of care they might need. "[This] is the latest collaborative step to develop the most comprehensive prison mental health program in the country and … reduce use of special housing and segregation for inmates with mental illness," said OMH Commissioner Michael F. Hogan.

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