Milw. Co. faces deadline in dealing with doctor shortage in County Jail

MILWAUKEE -- A court-ordered deadline comes in less than 10 days for Milwaukee County to deal with a doctor shortage in the jail. However, Milwaukee County's Sheriff and the Milwaukee County Board seem to disagree on what to do to get inmates the help they need. Meanwhile, the ACLU wants something done.

Nick Rinzel says he has been an inmate at the Milwaukee County Jail. Rinzel says he needed psychiatric medication and was placed in solitary confinement.

"A lot of people in these jails are going on suicide watch. They're threatening and they're going nuts because of the fact nobody properly takes care of them," Rinzel said.

The Milwaukee County Jail has had no medical director for two years and no full-time psychiatric doctor in a year. A judge has ordered the Sheriff and the County to work together on this problem.

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke wants to keep the hiring local and internal. On Tuesday, January 8th Sheriff Clarke criticized a plan to hire a St. Louis firm to search for doctors to work at the jail. Sheriff Clarke said: "This makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. This will prolong the delay in filling these critical positions."

Milwaukee County Supervisor Mark Borkowski disagrees. He says the situation is not as bad as some are saying -- but the ACLU disagrees.

"A person who is on the floor essentially shaking on the floor and the nurse who came said 'just put him back in his bed. He'll be fine.' We're really concerned about the situation there both on the psychiatric side and the medical side," Larry Dupuis with the ACLU said.

The ACLU lawyer will ask a judge to order sanctions or fines if the County doesn't come up with an answer by the next court date on January 16th.