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CASS COUNTY ;¡; Administration 701.241.5800 Jail 701.271,2900 Juvenile Detention 701.241,5845 Emergency Mgmt. 701.241,5858 Fax 701.241,5805 211 9th St. S. Box 488 Fargo, North Dakota 58107.():88 www.co.cass.nd. us/sheriff RECEIVED Office of the Sheriff --- ---. .__H---~------ DEC 1 0 2004 Don Rudnick, Sheriff CASS COUNTY COMMISSION December 10, 2004 Vern Bennett, Portfolio Commissioner Cass County Commission Cass County Courthouse Fargo, ND 58103 Commissioner Bennett: Several months ago a group of mental health professionals and our staff began meeting at the jail to study alternatives to placing severely mentally ill in jail. Often, other options might be more appropriate and still meet with the court's approval. We started out small, but have quickly grown in membership as can be seen by the attached list. It is exciting to see such a large number of individuals and agencies come together to address what I have learned is a concern not only of the jail but other professionals. The issue is not unique to Cass County as many communities have addressed this concern and several intervention programs have been developed as a result. Nationally, 5% of the general population has a severe mental illness but 16% of those incarcerated can be diagnosed with severe mental illness. Co-occurring disorders, some form of mental illness with drug abuse, can reach as high as 66%. In Cass County, psychotropic medications are taken by 35% of inmates. As an informal group, we have no avenue to report our findings or to make recommendations on change. Our group is requesting that the Cass County Commission formally adopt our committee and ask that we report to the commission with any findings and recommendations within 60 days. I have attached a sample motion for your consideration. .~~ Major Glenn D. Ellingsberg Chief Deputy Cass County Jail Cass County Jail 45034 Sf S - Fargo, ND 58103