County Jails Struggle With A New Role As America’s Prime Centers For Opioid Detox

npr.org

Eric Westervelt Twitter

In Massachusetts last July, several Franklin County Jail inmates were watched by a nurse and a corrections officer after receiving their daily doses of buprenorphine, a drug that helps control opioid cravings. By some estimates, at least half to two-thirds of today’s U.S. jail population has a substance use or dependence problem. Elise Amendola/AP hide caption

Faced with a flood of addicted inmates and challenged by lawsuits, America’s county jails are struggling to adjust to an opioid health crisis that has turned many of the jails into their area’s largest drug treatment centers.

In an effort to get a handle on the problem, more jails are adding some form of medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, to help inmates safely detox from opioids and stay clean behind bars and after release.

But there are deep concerns about potential abuse of the treatment drugs, as well as worries about the efficacy and costs of programs that jails just weren’t designed or built for.

Imagining the next-gen emergency communications center

policeone.com

As smartphone technology and other devices continue to connect the civilian world, emergency communications centers cannot afford to be left behind

By Randall Larson, P1 Contributor

For more than 50 years, the dialing code 9-1-1 has been an optimal method for requesting emergency help, and it used to be a fairly simple process. But with the advent of the information age there came a technological revolution in the field of wireless communication devices that has inaugurated huge changes in the way the 911 system and its users operated. Landline telephones were succeeded by an increasing variety of digital personal communicators that left most 911 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) wondering what happened.

Suddenly America’s 911 PSAPs needed to have the capacity to receive text messages, data, images, live video and so much more. Few do, so far. We’ve grown from the relatively simple telephone-and-a-radio-on-a-desktop of yesteryear into a high-tech environment that is beginning to resemble the front panel of an airliner cockpit. Today’s dispatch console jockeys face multiple screens to manage multiple systems on multiple computer terminals, each requiring its own precious amount of desktop geography – computer-aided dispatch systems, 911 telephony, radio systems and AVL/mapping systems.

 

The next-gen 911 center of the future will be a constantly evolving one. (Photo/U.S. Air Force, Ingrid Barrentine)

Mobile and portable radios remain the primary communication devices between dispatchers and field personnel, but the increasing proliferation of portable communications devices are changing that paradigm as well. Before long dispatchers will be able to use an app to email the caller’s video of a crime or accident scene to the responder’s own wireless device. Some are doing it now, giving responders unprecedented advance intelligence prior to arrival.

Life After Law Enforcement

psychologytoday.com

For a law enforcement officer, leaving active duty can be a difficult time. Whether or not the person freely chooses to leave, is forced to leave, medically retires, or just hits that “mark” of retirement, a strong camaraderie among fellow officers has been developed.

At some point, officers must be prepared to become civilians. A loss of police power and a feeling that one is no longer part of the cop family strongly accompanies the change. To leave this interpersonal web of protection is not easy and is likened to removing an integral part of your personality. In research conducted by police psychologist and author J.M. Violanti, an officer commented:

Read more of this interesting article here.

Copyright © 2007-2019 by Dr. Brian A. Kinnaird. Reprinted with permission by the author.

For more articles, visit The Hero in You column at Psychology Today. For law enforcement-related books, articles, networking, training, or speaking opportunities, contact Brian Kinnaird at brian.kinnaird@gmail.com.

References & Suggested Readings

Figley CR. Psychological adjustment among Vietnam veterans: an overview of the research. In C.R. Figley (Ed) Stress Disorders Among Vietnam Veterans-Theory, research, and treatment. New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1978.

Gilmartin KM. Hypervigilance: A learned perceptual set and its consequences on police stress. In J.T. Reese and H.A. Goldstein (Eds) Psychological Services for Law Enforcement, (pp 443-446). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1986.

Jarhead. Don Michael Paul. Universal Pictures, 2005.

Violanti JM. Traumatic stress in critical occupations: Recognitions, Consequences, and Treatment. Charles C. Thomas Publisher, 1997.

Violanti JM. Police Retirement: The impact of change. Springfield, Illinois: Thomas, 1992.

About the author

Brian A. Kinnaird, PhD, is a cop-turned professor, author, trainer and police advocate. A 10-year law enforcement veteran in Ellis County, KS, he started his career as a deputy sheriff assigned to the jail division prior to being promoted to patrol. During his tenure, he served as an FTO, lead DT instructor and tactical team operator. He was a guest use of force instructor at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center, teaching defensive tactics to recruit academies.

Dr. Kinnaird is a charter member of ILEETA and served as editor of the Use of Force Journal and ILEETA Review. He has trained and presented to corrections, law enforcement and human services agencies for over 20 years. He is judicially qualified as an expert and continues to consult and train current and former law enforcement.  

As a career educator, Dr. Kinnaird is a criminologist, professor, researcher and author. He holds a B.A. in sociology, M.L.S. in criminal justice administration, and Ph.D. in criminal justice. He is a columnist in the law and crime section of Psychology Today. Contact him at brian.kinnaird@gmail.com.

MultiBrief: Is a national DNA database to fight crime in our future?

exclusive.multibriefs.com

Bambi Majumdar

Are we heading towards a de facto national DNA database to solve crimes? Will our future include a federal law requiring all U.S. residents to provide law enforcement with their DNA profile or volunteer genetic profiles to solve a crime?

Tariffs won’t solve U.S.-Mexico drug crime — we must work together

dallasnews.com

By Toyota

What if Mexico threatened a 25% tariff on American corn and soybeans unless the U.S. stops providing an estimated $19 billion to $29 billion in yearly drug profits to Mexican criminal groups and blocks weapons trafficking to Mexico?

Mexicans can make a strong case that the illicit money, drug demand, and guns feed the violence and corruption plaguing their country. However, that would not be a constructive way to tackle shared problems.

Great commentary–read more.

Dallas needs more police officers, but even more, we need citizens to step up for public safety

dallasnews.com

By Toyota

In the Dallas mayoral election, public safety is getting the attention it deserves.

Candidates have suggested various solutions to increase our police force, and certainly hiring more police will make our city safer. But are more police officers the sole answer to decreasing crime and violence?

We need our police and criminal justice system to intervene, disrupt criminal behavior and remove the criminal element from our high-crime areas. This work is a crucial first step toward creating a safe city, but more police officers is only half of the solution.

Citizen’s helping police–read more.

Dallas City Council votes to expand police review board’s oversight powers

DALLAS Dallas City Council votes to expand police review board’s oversight powers

Dallas City Council members on Wednesday voted unanimously to expand the power of its board that hears complaints about police misconduct.

The vote occurred after months of town hall discussions — which often laid bare political and racial tension between Dallas residents — and some initial push-back from law enforcement organizations. Several members of the Citizens Police Review Board — which will now be renamed the Community Police Oversight Board — called the vote a “historic victory,” and activists lauded the effort required to win the unanimous vote.

The board’s final restructuring amounted to far less than what activists had initially wanted. The revamped board still won’t have subpoena power over officers or the ability to conduct independent investigations of critical incidents such as police-involved shootings. And the police chief still maintains all final decisions related to discipline.

Texas marijuana bill gets a serious mellow — but high penalties for possession could still come downTexas marijuana bill gets a serious mellow — but high penalties for possession could still come down

Texas marijuana bill gets a serious mellow — but high penalties for possession could still come down
A bill that would have decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana in Texas has been substantially rewritten — on the day before its scheduled debate — to increase its chances of becoming law.

As proposed, House Bill 63 would have removed the current penalty for getting caught with an ounce or less of marijuana and replaced it with a $250 fine. But late Wednesday, Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, filed an amended version of the legislation. The new version would lessen penalties for possession of small amounts of pot, instead of removing them altogether, while making it easier to avoid a criminal record.

Essentially, marijuana possession would remain a crime but with far fewer of the current consequences. The changes were necessary, Moody said, to overcome opposition to the bill.

A bill that would have decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana in Texas has been substantially rewritten — on the day before its scheduled debate — to increase its chances of becoming law.

As proposed, House Bill 63 would have removed the current penalty for getting caught with an ounce or less of marijuana and replaced it with a $250 fine. But late Wednesday, Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, filed an amended version of the legislation. The new version would lessen penalties for possession of small amounts of pot, instead of removing them altogether, while making it easier to avoid a criminal record.

Essentially, marijuana possession would remain a crime but with far fewer of the current consequences. The changes were necessary, Moody said, to overcome opposition to the bill.

Dallas DA John Creuzot keeps campaign promise on criminal justice reform, gladly takes heat

dallasnews.com

By United Way of Metropolitan Dallas

To the delight of criminal justice reform advocates across the country, John Creuzot keeps his promise.

The new Dallas County district attorney has announced a policy that, among other things, would curb the prosecution of certain low-level crimes, like marijuana offenses and theft of personal items worth less than $750, unless the theft was for financial gain.

“When I ran to become your district attorney, I promised you that I would bring changes to our criminal justice system,” Creuzot wrote in an open letter about the new policy. “The changes that I promised will be a step forward in ending mass incarceration in Dallas County, and will make our community safer by ensuring that our limited resources are spent where they can do the most good.”

In response, Creuzot is taking heat from police organizations, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Gov. Greg Abbott.

Read more…

Lawmakers, law enforcement work to address major officer shortages

kxan.com

Jacqulyn Powell

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As law enforcement agencies across Texas are facing officer shortages, local police departments and lawmakers are working to make police work more attractive to potential recruits.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s LA, Portland, Boston,” said Austin Police Association President Ken Casaday. “Everyone’s having difficulty hiring.”

Casaday says it’s a result of a few big factors.

“It is a very dangerous job and getting kids these days to do this type of work is a challenge.”

Read all about it here..