It looks like the new Polk County Jail is going to be built. That is good news, as it will alleviate overcrowding in the current building.

But what the new jail won’t fix is the number of people with significant mental health problems who get in trouble with the law — mainly because they are not receiving the medical treatments they need.

According to a fact sheet from the Baselon Center for Mental Health Law, more than 16 percent of incarcerated inmates have a mental illness. Many of those incarcerated have dual diagnoses, meaning they may have an addiction to drugs or alcohol along with a manic depressive disorder, schizophrenia or other illness. In addition, some inmates have behavioral problems on top of their mental illnesses, although is unclear how many develop behavioral problems because of hallucinations, for example.

What does this mean for our criminal justice system and our health-care system?

First, in Iowa particularly, there is a scarcity of mental health hospital beds and psychiatric practitioners. When jailed inmates with mental illnesses become acutely psychotic, they will be hospitalized for treatment. If the person admitted turns violent, psychiatric units often must be secured and sections of the inpatient units shut down.

With an already existing shortage of psychiatric beds in the state, even one court-ordered patient from the criminal justice system can throw a mental health community into chaos. Patients languish in hospital emergency rooms waiting for inpatient beds to become available. The whole system backs up.

Another problem is that most remaining inpatient psychiatric hospitals were not built to handle violent criminal patients. Safety for all patients becomes an issue.

Finally, the criminal justice system itself is stretched to oversee jailed people with mental health problems. And when they need to be hospitalized for treatment, resources are depleted by the time-consuming process.

What can be done? A Mental Health Planning Committee, which consisted of board members and staff at Broadlawns Medical Center and Iowa Health — Des Moines, along with the leadership of Polk County Supervisor Angela Connolly, formulated recommendations to “reduce incarcerations to facilitate re-entry of people with mental illness and/or substance abuse when charged with minor offenses.”

Some of the committee’s recommendations include focusing on access to transitional housing and educating judges regarding community alternatives for people with minor offenses. Leadership and coordination of these efforts will rest with the Polk County Community Corrections Department.

Access and continuity of care are crucial for people with mental illnesses. Advocacy and community education are key processes to achieving goals.

As a community, we need to prevent and treat mental illnesses, so people don’t wind up incarcerated in the first place.

Jean Logan is a professor of nursing at Grand View College and a member of the board of trustees at Broadlawns Medical Center.