New Mexico Jail To Give Prescriptions To Released Inmates

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Doctors at a New Mexico jail are extending prescriptions for inmates dealing with mental illness before releasing them. KOAT-TV reports (http://bit.ly/2cre6tw ) that about 2,000 people are booked into the Bernalillo County Jail each month and many of them have a mental illness. Jail doctors treat the inmates and often provide prescriptions. They typically give the inmate a prescription for a three-day supply of any necessary medicine when they are released from jail. Interim Jail Director Tom Ruiz says the prescriptions haven't been enough, causing some inmates to struggle to get back on track after release. He says doctors will now give inmates a 14-day prescription when they leave jail.