Freeborn County Jail looks to add social worker
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(ABC 6 News) – The Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office hopes to add a social worker to their jail and increase the accessibility of other mental health services.
Sheriff Ryan Shea said a lot of people in jail have mental health issues of some sort, ranging from alcohol addiction to schizophrenia.
Now, he’s looking for ways to connect those people to the services they need.
“Our jail facilities just aren’t hospitals, they are not meant to hold people that need mental health treatment,” said Shea. “They’re meant to hold people that are awaiting trial or punishment after they have committed a crime.”
Shea also said he will look to increase the amount of time social workers spend at the jail from four hours a week to 20.