For most of his life, "Jerry," 35, has been locked up or under the watchful eye of the state.
Jerry is a registered sex offender and on parole at the Orange Street Community Correctional Center, 80 S. Orange St. (1900 West), after spending several stints in prison over the past nine years. He has been at Orange Street since October.
He is also paranoid schizophrenic. Twice he has attempted to commit suicide.
On his second attempt, he tried overdosing on painkillers and a 12-pack of beer. Jerry said doctors told him his heart actually stopped beating on three occasions. Jerry would probably be dead if his mother hadn't called to check on him.
Today, Jerry says he doesn't have a desire to kill himself, though he still battles with paranoid schizophrenia. He needs to take his medicine to prevent harming both himself and others.
But the medicine is not cheap. His Seroquel pills cost $1,319 each month. In fact, most of the antipsychotic medication given at Orange Street costs $600 to $1,000 per patient each month.
Jerry's problem illustrates a continuing challenge for Utah's mental health community: Dangerous convicts need to take antipsychotic medication for the public's safety — but the medicine costs more than most can afford.
As long as offenders are at the halfway house, the Department of Corrections will pay for their medication. But the fact is, you can't lock everybody up, said Kathy Reimherr, Valley Mental Health program manager.
The Orange Street facility has 60 beds for men and women. Twenty-two beds are set aside for mentally ill offenders.
Many offenders at Orange Street are violent. Their convictions range from aggravated assault and sex abuse to robbery and stalking. Some of Utah's high-profile criminals have gone through the facility.
Their mental illnesses are very serious. It's more than just depression, Orange Street director Deborah Davidson said. Without the proper medication, the mentally ill residents at Orange Street couldn't function, she said.
Not only is the antipsychotic medication not cheap, it's not easy to take. It's not like swallowing two aspirin tablets. Some of the drugs come with side effects such as severe weight gain.
Because of the combination of cost and side effects, many mentally ill people don't want to take their medicine, believing they'll be OK. But when a person stops taking his medicine, it can sometimes lead to tragic results.
De Kieu Duy and Sergei Babarin, the shooters in the killing sprees at the Triad Center and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Family History Library, had both reportedly stopped taking their medicine prior to the shootings.
Jason Gage, the man accused of trying to kill a cross-country skier in Butterfield Canyon, also had allegedly stopped taking his medicine.
Mental health officials say that does not excuse those people. "Being mentally ill does not mean they're not accountable," Davidson said.
Mental illness itself does not cause crime, concurred Reimherr. That's why the mentally ill need a support system to ensure they take their medication. Without structured support, medications could be sitting untouched all over the valley, Reimherr said.
Once mentally ill offenders are released, the Corrections Department will continue to pick up the tab for their antipsychotic medication for 60 days or until the person can get Medicaid, Social Security or other insurance benefits.
But even if the offender can't afford the medicine after that time, mental health officials usually figure out some way to make sure they get medication, said Reimherr.
Once residents of Orange Street are released back into public life, their money problems increase because they have to worry about food, shelter and medicine for other ailments ranging from HIV to diabetes, tuberculosis and respiratory problems.
In one case, Orange Street was forced to release a woman to a homeless shelter.
But once offenders are released from Orange Street, that doesn't mean they aren't monitored anymore. Valley Mental Health and the Department of Corrections work closely to make sure those offenders are seen on a regular basis, Reimherr said.
As for the expensive but necessary drugs the offenders take, Reimherr said it's actually cooperation from the drug companies themselves that keeps the doors at Valley Mental Health open.
The drug companies are willing to provide vouchers and help with indigent programs so people who need the medicine are getting it, she said. "They keep us alive," Reimherr said.
Reimherr hopes the new medications will become less expensive over time.
E-mail: preavy@desnews.com