Daytona Beach, FL – FAITH worked for nearly a year to improve conditions for mentally ill persons held in the Volusia County Jail. Concerns stemmed from numerous reports of inmates not receiving needed psychotropic medications from the jail psychiatrist, as well as other reports regarding unjust practices by the mental health provider, Prison Health Services. The County’s contract for a mental health provider was up for renewal in August 2008 and at FAITH’s Nehemiah Action, 1,100 people challenged the Volusia County Council to contract with a credible, local provider for mental healthcare in the jail. The Volusia County Council agreed and ultimately awarded the contract to local and credible healthcare provider, ACT/Stewart Marchman, who began administering mental health services in the County Jail in December 2008.
