The Prince William Board of County Supervisors recently accepted a $352,000 grant to fund aid for mentally ill female inmates.
This grant was from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and will be dedicated to aiding mentally ill women in the Prince William-Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center.
In 2016, the Adult Detention Center applied for a grant from the state’s Jail Mental Health Pilot Program and received $411,000 as one of six sites for the pilot program.
Since then, the Adult Detention Center has submitted applications and received grants each year to continue the pilot program.
This year’s grant will fully fund one mental health therapist and one re-entry therapist who will provide therapeutic programming, transitional medication, staff training, and an increase in psychiatric services.
The grant will also help in arranging public transportation and emergency housing.
According to the Prince William County government, these services reduce recidivism of mentally ill offenders by five percent, and the overall recidivism by 20 percent.
The program reduces recidivism by providing counseling and re-entry services, as well as case management services to female inmates with mental illness.
On average, 80 percent of the jail’s female population are eligible for services through the Mental Health Pilot Program.
