Volunteers Helping the Mentally Ill In Jail

A group of volunteer therapists are tackling the issue of people who are incarcerated and also have a mental illness.

SUMMIT COUNTY - Every other Wednesday afternoon, Storm Johnson and Susan Toys set up a circle of plastic chairs in the Summit County Jail's indoor recreation room amid the ping-pong table, a small television and a few tightly packed bookshelves.

A group of male inmates, typically anywhere from 18 to 33 years old, fill the chairs for the first hour - about 8 show up - followed by one or two female inmates for the second hour.

"Some of them come because they really have some interest, and some come because it's a time-filler," Johnson said.

Regardless of inmates' reasons for attending, Johnson and Toys take advantage of the time to lead an open discussion focused on issues like anger management or coping skills.

On Fridays, the women return to the jail to meet one-on-one with inmates who request a more personalized therapy session, and whose requests are approved by the jail captain.Summit County