JEFFERSON CITY, MO – A lawsuit โfiled โขTuesday in federal court alleges systemic failures toโ provide โขadequateโข mental health care โto inmates in Missouri jails, contributing to a surge in deaths and self-harm. The American Civil Libertiesโฃ Union of Missouri and the lawโ firm of Bryan Caveโฃ Leighton Paisner โคare representing several โขplaintiffs, including families of individuals who died while incarcerated.
The suit names asโข defendants the Missouri Department of Corrections and several individual โขsheriffs across โคthe state. It โclaims โฃwidespread negligence in screening for mental illness, a lack โof โฃqualified medical and mental healthโ staff, and insufficient access to necessary treatment, includingโ medication and crisis intervention. โ
According to the โACLU of Missouri, at least 28 people died by suicide in missouri jails between Januaryโ 2020 and December 2022. The lawsuit โcites data showing a significant increase โขin self-harm incidents and mental health-related emergencies within theseโ facilities.โ
“Missouriโข jailsโ are facing a mental โhealth crisis, and officials are failing โขto meet โtheir โคbasic legal and moral obligationsโ to care for people in their โcustody,” said ACLU ofโ Missouri Executive Director Tom Bastian in a press release. “this โlawsuitโฃ seeks to force systemic change and prevent further tragedies.”
The lawsuit seeks aโ court โคorder requiring the state and local jail officialsโ to implement extensive mental health โคcare reforms, including improved screening procedures, adequate staffing โขlevels, and access to appropriate treatment. Itโ also requests โฃdamages for the โplaintiffs who โhave suffered harm asโฃ aโ result of the alleged โฃfailures.
Missouri’s jail system has faced โขincreasing scrutiny in recent yearsโฃ regardingโ conditionsโค of confinementโ andโ healthcare access. The state currently has over 100 local jails,โข manyโ of which are understaffed and underfunded.โ The lawsuit highlights the particularโฃ vulnerability of individuals โฃwith pre-existing โmental health conditionsโ who cycle through the โjail system.
