A Senate subcommittee has been formed to discuss transport of mental health patients after the deaths of two people in an Horry County Sheriff’s Office van.
An outline for the “Corrections and Penology Special Subcommittee on Mental Health Initiatives” was posted on state Senator Marlon Kimpson’s Facebook page on Monday.
The members of the subcommittee include Senator Kimpson, Senator Katrina Shealy, Senator Tom Davis, and Senator Mike Fanning, according to the outline. The topics of discussion include:
- “statewide transport of mental health patients and criminal detainees by law enforcement”
- “discussion of voluntary commitment vs. involuntary/court ordered commitment”
- “department of mental health involvement”
- “funding issues”
Others involved in the effort include Jarrod Bruder with the SC Sheriff’s Association, Bryan Stirling with the SC Department of Corrections, and John Magil and Mark Binkley with the Department of Mental Health.
In another post on his Facebook page on Saturday, Senator Kimpson references the Horry County Sheriff’s Office van incident and the subcommittee, saying “I look forward to receiving my official appointment papers so we can begin the work of improving the way in which we treat those suffering from mental illness in our state.”
No date has been set for the first committee meeting.
