Jul 08, 2009 | JAMA Reply Letter
Jacques Baillargeon; David P. Paar; Josiah D. Rich
JAMA. 2009;302(2):148.
Authors Baillargeon, Paar and Rich respond to a reply by COCHS CMO Dr. Keith Barton to their original article and express hope that approaches that link released jail inmates with community-based medical care can be expanded throughout the U.S. Correctional system
Jul 15, 2009 | Las Vegas Sun
by Keith Barton
RE “Illness keeps many on cycle through jail” (July 12): As Mr. Pratt reports, Clark County invests $4 million a year to stabilize inmates with mental illnesses in the county jail. This investment is essentially lost when offenders leave the jail and stop receiving mental health treatment. This disconnected system of care endangers the public and family members and frequently leads to new arrests, with their attendant costs. What might be done?
Jul 02, 2009 | The Salt Lake Tribune
by Keith Barton
RE “Thinking Outside the Cellblock: Salt Lake County Aims to Free More Jail Space by More Counseling” (June 26): Salt Lake County is wise to recognize that more jail beds cannot fix the county's congested corrections system. The key to reducing the burden on the legal system and on taxpayers is to reintegrate released inmates into society and keep them from returning behind bars. Health care can play an important role in this process.
Jun 30, 2009 | Albany Times Union
by Keith Barton
RE “Treatment, not Jail Often Best for Mentally Ill” (June 26): More than 9 million individuals cycle through the 3,300 local jails in our nation each year. Many of them have mental illnesses and other health conditions. The progress reported in Albany and Rensselaer counties shows that it is possible -- and often cost-effective -- to intervene with treatment before sending people to jail in the first place.
However, jails can also be part of the solution if they can collaborate with community health centers.
Jun 30, 2009 | Oakland Tribune
by Keith Barton
A RAND Corp. report has shown that prison parolees in Alameda County face a tangled and tattered patchwork of health services once they are released. One approach to improving community health — and reducing recidivism — is to bring community-based care directly into the jail. Community health clinics can affiliate with providers of health care in the county jail, so that clinic staff work both in the jails and in the community.
Jun 15, 2009 | COCHS Press Release
Oakland, CA – Community Oriented Correctional Health Services (COCHS) today announced that it has entered into a collaborative agreement with Correctional Healthcare Companies (CHC) to help spread the COCHS community-based correctional care approach to jurisdictions across the country. The COCHS Board of Directors approved the agreement on June 4.
Feb 05, 2009 | Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
More than 9 million people are released each year from the nation’s 3,300 jails, and their successful re-entry into society is critical—not only for themselves but for their families and their communities.
Jan 06, 2009 | COCHS
COCHS will feature prominently in the next professional development meeting of the American Correctional Health Services Association (ACHSA). “Turning Research into Solutions: Practical Options for Today’s Correctional Settings” will be held March 12-15 in Orlando, FL. COCHS presentations include the following:
The COCHS approach to community-based health care for jail inmates.
The role of information technology in building community linkages in correctional settings.
The clinical and program workforce challenges that local correctional facilities face.
