James Tatsch was not charged with any crime. But when he was found unresponsive in an isolation cell at the Alcorn County Jail on Jan. 17, he had been locked up for 12 days. He died at the local hospital.
Tatsch was waiting for mental health treatment through Mississippi’s involuntary commitment process. Every year, hundreds of people going through the process are detained in county jails for days or weeks at a time while they wait for evaluations, hearings and treatment. They are generally treated like criminal defendants and receive little or no mental health care while jailed.
Mississippi Today and ProPublica previously reported that since 2006, at least 14 people have died after being jailed during this process. Tatsch, who was 48 years old, is at least the 15th. No one in the state keeps track of how often people die while jailed for this reason. The news organizations identified the deaths through lawsuits, news clips and Mississippi Bureau of Investigation reports. MBI investigates in-custody deaths only at the request of the local sheriff or district attorney.
I looked at their 2022 audit and they got a glowing review!
Somehow they still managed to torture an inmate to death in solitary confinement though. Weird; you’d think something would come up on the report.
Some highlights:
115.35
Specialized training: Medical and mental health care
Auditor Overall Determination: Meets Standard
Auditor Discussion
Mental Health Services are provided not in an RCF, but through the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Because of this, an offender requiring the previous mentioned services would need to be transferred back into the State prison system. Any offender in need of mental health services would be transferred on an emergent basis, and would have the possibility of returning, depending on the reason for transfer. If necessary, a telehealth consult could be conducted with the state facility to see if there was an immediate need for transfer.
Based on the organizational chart, it was confirmed that two medical staff are employed at ACRCF. Both employees have received appropriate training on how to detect and assess signs of sexual abuse and harassment, and are educated on how to preserve physical evidence of sexual abuse. These staff members have also received the appropriate training of how to respond effectively and professionally when dealing with victims of sexual abuse, harassment, or assault. There are no forensic examinations conducted at ACRCF.
115.82
Access to emergency medical and mental health services
Auditor Overall Determination: Meets Standard
Auditor Discussion
The facility has an option to transfer any inmate in need of immediate medical and/or mental health care back to MDOC for evaluation of needs.
Agency and facility policy support all areas of this standard and mandate immediate access to medical and mental health services. Included in this policy not only the timeliness of emergency medical treatment but the crisis intervention services as well. These are steps to be taken by the first responders in order to ensure protection of the victim. In addition to this, the policy also provides timely access to emergency contraception and sexually transmitted infection prophylaxis. In the event of needing these treatments, the victim would not face any financial cost for services.
Despite immediate care being provided at Magnolia Regional Hospital, any inmate needing extensive or long-term care will be transferred to a DOC prison with a larger medical or mental health unit in order to provide the appropriate form of treatment.
115.35 (d)
Specialized training: Medical and mental health care
Do medical and mental health care practitioners employed by the agency also receive training mandated for employees by §115.31? (N/A if the agency does not have any full- or part-time medical or mental health care practitioners employed by the agency.)
yes
Do medical and mental health care practitioners contracted by or volunteering for the agency also receive training mandated for contractors and volunteers by §115.32? (N/A if the agency does not have any full- or part-time medical or mental health care practitioners contracted by or volunteering for the agency.)
na