CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Chesapeake Mayor Rick West said that mental health services will be coming to the Chesapeake City Jail in his State of the City address Wednesday.
The decision comes after the Hampton Roads Regional Jail decided to close its doors.
"The Regional Jail just closed and one of the mistakes we made as a regional is to try to put so many inmates there that had mental health problems, said Mayor West to News 3's Leondra Head. "Each locality will be getting their own regional inmates back. It’s going to be counseling, mental health counseling, rehab counseling."
The Chesapeake Undersheriff, Dave Rosado, released the following statement.
“Mental health is one of the largest challenges facing corrections and law enforcement. This is something I’m very passionate about. I’m proud to say the City of Chesapeake and the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office are working together to tackle this problem head-on. Last night, Mayor Rick West and the Chesapeake City Council approved funding for a state-of-the-art mental health/therapeutic ward to provide mental health services, counseling, and rehab counseling to incarcerated individuals with mental health needs. This specialized ward will help treat mental health and substance issues at their source to reduce recidivism and keep our communities safe.”
-Undersheriff Dave Rosado
West also mentioned there are discussions about Greenbrier Mall.
Although West didn’t mention specifics about the future of Greenbrier Mall, he says the conversations have been exciting.
