D.C. Code div. I, tit. 1, ch. 15, subch. XV, pt. B
STATEMENT
This reorganization would consolidate all psychiatric services provided to inmates at the Central Detention Facility ("D.C. Jail") and the Lorton Correctional Facility within the Department of Corrections ("DOC") to improve the medical and psychiatric services provided to inmates at these locations.
The genesis of this proposed Reorganization Plan is Campbell v. McGruder, C.A. No. 1462-71 (D.D.C. 1971) and Inmates of D.C. Jail v. Jackson, C.A. No. 75-1668 (D.D.C. 1975), cases active in U.S. District Court. On January 27, 1995, the Court ordered the District of Columbia government ("District") to implement the Special Officer's Initial Remedial Plan for Mental Health Care, Medical Care and Compliance Monitoring at the District of Columbia Jail ("Initial Remedial Plan"), which requires DOC to assume full responsibility for all medical and psychiatric services provided to inmates at the Central Detention Facility and at the Lorton Correctional Facility. The Initial Remedial Plan further requires staff who provide psychiatric services to be hired under the exclusive budget authority and auspices of DOC, and that all staff currently detailed to provide mental health services at the D.C. Jail shall become employees of DOC if they meet the standards for employment. The Initial Remedial Plan establishes staffing requirements and deadlines for hiring appropriate staff. Fines are not assessed for failure to terminate the details to the Department of Human Services ("DHS") staff. However, the District has been fined for failure to hire staff within the time set forth in the Initial Remedial Plan.
Under the current organizational structure, DOC is responsible for providing housing, security, general medical care, and other services to inmates, but not mental health services. DHS, through an informal arrangement that began in the 1960s, has provided consultative mental health services to DOC, and in 1980, pursuant to the decree in Campbell v. McGruder, administered and funded an intermediate care program for 160 residents in 2 mental health units. This consultative arrangement was formalized with Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1986, also known as the Final Mental Health System Implementation Plan. Under this consultative arrangement, DHS recommended treatment, but DOC retained responsibility for providing such treatment.
Unfortunately, this bifurcated arrangement did not provide maximum clinical services in an efficient and economical manner. The sharing of information was hampered by the strict confidentiality requirements of the District of Columbia Mental Health Information Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-136; D.C. Code § 6-2001 [§ 7-1201.01 ] et seq.). Further, the bifurcation of responsibility, whereby DOC physicians treat mental problems and DHS physicians treat mental illness, at times impedes the efficient delivery of services, results in redundant services, and makes tracking of inmates difficult.
With the Reorganization Plan, DOC will assume responsibility for meeting all of the medical needs of the inmate population, including mental health, which should improve services to inmates by streamlining the administration and provision of services. To carry out its new functions, DOC will augment its Psychiatric Services Program, established in 1992, by the transfer of all vacant and funded positions and the corresponding appropriated budget from the Bureau of Correctional Services, Forensic Services Administration, Commission on Mental Health Services ("CMHS") to DOC.
The Reorganization will not affect court-ordered criminal pretrial and post trial examinations requested by District or United States courts, as these examinations will continue to be the responsibility of the CMHS. Commitments under applicable law following an acquittal by reason of insanity or transfers of inmates to CMHS in accordance with section 928 of An Act To establish a code of law for the District of Columbia, approved March 3, 1901 (31 Stat. 1340; D.C. Code § 24-302 [§ 24-502 ]), or Superior Court Mental Health Rule 9 also are unaffected.
The purpose of this reorganization is to consolidate the provision of medical and mental health services provided to inmates at the Central Detention Facility and the Lorton Correctional Facility within the Department of Corrections, to improve the coordination of mental health and medical services, and to eliminate barriers to the exchange of mental health information created by the District of Columbia Mental Health Information Act of 1978, effective March 3, 1979 (D.C. Law 2-136; D.C. Code § 6-2001 [§ 7-1201.01 ] et seq.).
The Director of the Department of Corrections is authorized to organize the personnel and property transferred herein into such organizational components as the Director deems appropriate, and is authorized to develop any reports and evaluation systems necessary to assess the effectiveness of the Reorganization Plan.
D.C. Code div. I, tit. 1, ch. 15, subch. XV, pt. B