Montana Tribes Want to Stop Jailing People for Suicide Attempts but Lack a Safer Alternative

October 25, 2021

(Kaiser Health News) – Jailing people because of a mental health issue is illegal in Montana and every other state except New Hampshire. But Vega is a member of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, a sovereign nation with its own laws. An 11-year-old tribal policy allows law enforcement to put members who threaten or attempt suicide in jail or juvenile detention to prevent another attempt. Fort Peck’s tribal leaders say they approved the policy out of necessity because there were no mental health facilities equipped for short-term housing of people in mental crisis. The covid pandemic has only exacerbated the crisis. (Read Full Article)