NorthwestJune 12, 2015

Associated Press

EVERETT, Wash. - Snohomish County officials say inmate addiction to heroin and other opiates is the biggest health problem in the Everett jail.

More than 90 percent of the 52 inmates locked up in the medical unit of the jail as of Monday were dangerously ill with withdrawal symptoms, The Daily Herald reported.

Use of the medical unit has skyrocketed since 2013, according to a new report from the corrections bureau of the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office.

"Heroin has caused the jail to become Snohomish County's largest 'de facto' detox center over the last two years," corrections Maj. Jamie Kane wrote in the report.

The report was presented Monday to the Snohomish County Council's law and justice committee. It describes the challenges the county faces in detaining and keeping safe a growing number of inmates sick from drugs.

People withdrawing from heroin and other opiates require close monitoring by nurses and corrections officers. They are at risk of life-threatening dehydration, and some can become so miserable during withdrawal that they are willing to harm themselves in hopes of getting access to pain medication.

"Common methods used by inmates in the past were to jump off the upper tier or fall down stairs in a 'general housing' unit to cause injury to themselves," the report said.

To lessen that risk, fencing was installed on the upper tier of a unit that now is used for overflow when the number of inmates undergoing opiate withdrawal leaves the jail with few options.

Safely housing detoxing inmates requires extra staffing, according to the report.

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Up to 25 staff, including corrections officers and nurses, are required to monitor detainees going through opiate withdrawal.

"Law enforcement is being used as a catchall solution," Sheriff Ty Trenary said. "The heroin epidemic is not just a law enforcement problem. We're a tool in the solution."

More community resources are needed, the sheriff said.

There is only one 16-bed publicly funded detox facility in Snohomish County, and the county is hoping to open a second.

When Trenary was appointed sheriff in July 2013, the jail was struggling with a string of inmate deaths.

Most of the 13 deaths since 2010 were among people with serious health problems, often linked to longtime abuse of drugs and alcohol, records show. The death rate was typical of what is seen at similar-sized lockups around the country, according to a federal Justice Department statistician who tracks inmate deaths.

At the sheriff's request, federal corrections experts conducted a review. Among other things, they recommended upgrades in the jail's ability to identify and address health issues among detainees.

The changes appear to be producing results, but officials say there's still more to be done.

"There are a lot of sick people who don't belong in jail. We don't have enough detox and mental health facilities. Those places will get them the treatment they need. The jail wasn't designed to do that," Bureau Chief Tony Aston of the sheriff's office said. "It's important the community knows what's really going on."

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