By Mary Alice Murphy

Following two presentations at the Grant County Commission special meeting on Oct. 26, 2021 by the Gila National Forest and about the planning for the 80th anniversary of the Bataan Death March, which can be read at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/68358-grant-county-commission-holds-special-meeting-oct-26-2021-part-1 , the commissioners began to address the new business of the meeting agenda.

The first item was a discussion on Detention Center short-term priorities. County Manager Tim Zamora said the big item is to create a plan and assess the potential to use ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding. "What potential additions to the size of the jail or modifications we could make, we estimate it will cost about $250,000 to assess the situation. We want to provide feedback from the assessment. The design for an addition would be a result of the assessment and would be on the ICIP (infrastructure capital improvement plan)."

District 1 Commissioner and Chair Chris Ponce said his idea of an assessment would be more to address the internal workings of the detention center. "Can you accomplish both the building and the inner workings of the facility with an assessment?"

Zamora said the inner workings would be a separate assessment, "where we're at with the policies, for example. I will be going to the Luna County Detention Center to meet with their certification committee."

Ponce said: "I'm not against a behavioral health addition, but one of my biggest concerns is the juveniles for which we have lost certification to be able to hold them. They get sent to Gallup. That's taking them away from their families. What are we looking at to get services for them when they are incarcerated? What are we doing for them? I know it will be costly."

"What we're doing is a notice of proposal," Zamora said. "We can add the services for juveniles in that."

District 2 Commissioner Javier "Harvey" Salas said: "Before we do an assessment, we need to know if we can man the behavioral health at the detention center. What would be the scope? Would it be simply detox or counseling? It would take personnel to man it. It would be a fixed cost. How will we manage it?"

Zamora said because of issues with inmates coming into the facility, "behavioral health will be part of the assessment, so we know what we can do—if we have housing for behavioral health and can provide behavioral health services. The assessment will be the first piece on what we need, how much it will cost, and licensure issues for personnel."

"We absolutely need space to address behavioral health issues," Zamora continued. "If we continue to do what we're doing now, if we have more space, the inmates will be better served. If we add space and proper equipment, we'll be better."

Salad agreed with expanding current services, "but with behavioral health what licenses do we need? It will be fruitless if we have space but no personnel."

Zamora said that was what the assessment is for. "We have problems already with space and staffing. We have problems with the inmates that have problems."

Ponce reiterated that he wasn't against addressing the behavioral health issues at the jail. "I know you're passionate about it."

Zamora said the county deals with taxpayer funding, so "that's why we don't have broken windows in the facility. They have been replaced through our budget. "

Salas said that one of the problems is that if someone goes to the hospital, "we stabilize them, but the hospital has to ship them out to somewhere else because we have no behavioral health unit at Gila Regional Medical Center. If we have an issue at the jail, they cannot be serviced at the hospital. We need the ability to manage them."

District 4 Commissioner Billy Billings noted the jail was built in 2012. "We have run into significant problems with it not being big enough or maybe there are internal problems. I appreciate your addressing the short-term needs. But I don't want the assessment to go directly to saying we need a behavioral health unit at the jail. The detention center's annual budget is $3.79 million. Things haven't panned out with what was supposed to happen with Tu Casa. And even with the Gila Regional behavioral health unit closed, we haven't been able to completely use Tu Casa. I'm not sure we need another behavioral health unit at the jail. How can we do it to be most cost effective? We need to fix the problems, but I don't want to bankrupt the county. I do want the assessment, but I don't want it focused on a behavioral health unit."

Zamora said there may be not a behavioral health addition, but maybe just an addition.

"Would those doing the assessment, visit the detention center and talk to the administration to meet the needs of the staff and the detainees without spending $20 million?" Billings asked. "I'm thinking we need to be helping these people 20 years before they get into the position of being incarcerated. I think the money would be better spent proactively, instead of always reactively."

District 3 Commissioner Alicia Edwards said she was hearing two different things from Zamora. "I hear an assessment on what we need, then I hear we need more space right now. I think we can consider them separately. If space is the immediate need, some counties are using modular buildings. There is considerable secure space in the facility. I would like to see someone who knows detention centers to tell us how it could be rearranged. We could put the non-secure activities into a modular structure. Make it nice for them in the modular. Maybe the first one is an architect of detention centers who can do an evaluation of what we can do with what we have now. The assessment needs to include all the behavioral health resources we already have in the community. The problem with Tu Casa is that we can't get enough reimbursement for the licensures that are required. We need to assess how GRMC, Tu Casa, the drug courts, the judiciary, etc. can come together to address the problem. The assessment should show what we have and what we need to get in order to receive proper reimbursements. Maybe divide it into two assessments and get New Mexico Counties, who can tell you who to use for the assessments. The other concern is personnel. I'm questioning that you are talking about using temporary money (ARPA). We have to have a plan when there is no longer temporary money. I would like to see the middle part of the short-term improvements to start today. Maybe we need to get Linda's (Vasquez, financial officer) blessing. And then I think we have to look at a gross receipts increment to increase funding for personnel. I think maybe we need one modular for training and another modular for the admin, but I don't know."

District 5 Commissioner Harry Browne said he appreciated the extensive conversation. "I would like to clarify some things. I don't think I expected everything on this list was expected to be funded with ARPA money."

Zamora said the design of an addition would be in the ICIP and is not included in the $250,000 for the assessment or assessments. "The first part could be: What can we do right now. Then the second part could be what can we do for permanent modifications."

Browne said he hopes the county can proceed with the assessments. "It's worth exploring how to repurpose areas."

Edwards said if the assessment shows "we need something at the jail, I'm in favor of it, but we need to have all the pieces in the community working together."

Browne said his concept of behavior health at the jail is very different from behavioral health at the hospital. "My initial thought for the jail wing is for those on drugs or having psychotic episodes. My view now is to isolate them so they can't harm themselves or others. It wouldn't be treatment, so we don't need medical licensures."

Zamora said: "Maybe we don't need to call it a behavioral health unit. Your concept is my idea."

Browne said if the inmates are secure, it may also require less staff.

"I'm now hearing that what we need is just housing," Ponce said.

Edwards asked: "Are we talking about safe detention or treatment or both?"

Salas said if it is a manic psychotic situation, "they need treatment. You can't just put them in a rubber room."

Edwards said: "This situation needs people who know more than us. I think we will have to have safe housing and treatment. But we have to continue the treatment outside the detention center, so they don't come back. They need a safety net outside the jail."

Ponce said: "If what we want is for the staff and inmates to be safe, I think that's difference from a behavioral health unit at the jail."

"I just want to acknowledge that Tim is listening to us and running with it," Edwards said. "These conversations are important."

Zamora said he understands all the commissioners' concerns. "I just know that an assessment will address all your questions."

Billings asked for clarification that the assessment would be not only changing spaces, but also addressing internal operations.

"I have told the acting administrator to take care of staffing and other immediate issues," Zamora said.

Edwards moved to allocate $243,000 of ARPA funding for an assessment. "For the November meeting, I would like to see an action plan for a detailed proposal for an assessment and how to address personnel issues."

Chris DeBolt, who is the contractor for the RISE program at the jail, as well as working with the Stepping Up coordinator, said the programs have 23 different systems for addressing many of the issues brought up in the meeting. "The acuity and severity of mental health issues at the jail is occurring and increasing. It is not if, but when something bad will happen. The safety of the staff and the inmates is critical. Other counties have used ARPA funding for services to happen after booking. I see all these issues and I see the exhaustion in the staff. The human cost is part of it. I see the people circulating back into the community where the problems happened. We need to look at the short-term issues of safety. I want to support County Manager Zamora. In November we will present the Stepping Up program details on its fourth anniversary."

Zamora said: "What we could look at for the planning piece is to ask an architect what we could use right now. Maybe the training room or the administrative office for treatment. I suggest $25,000 for that."

Edwards's motion was seconded and approved.

The special meeting of Nov. 10 to address the election caucus will have only three commissioners there, Ponce, Edwards and Browne, as others had conflicts, but the issue of the detention center could be addressed.

The next article will complete the meeting.