By Staci DaSilva
ABC 9 News
BUENA VISTA COUNTY — It was 2006 when a then 18-year old Jose Tovar of Storm Lake, IA was accused of brutally killing his brother and stabbing both his parents. He was booked into Buena Vista County Jail where he’s been housed ever since.
You see, Tovar suffers from severe mental health issues and hasn’t stepped foot in court yet. But he has been receiving mental help at Oakdale Prison in Coralville, Iowa off and on for the past 7 years, all on the County’s dime.
Buena Vista County Sheriff Gary Launderville said, “As of today, we’re going down to pick him up for the third time. And it’s $200 a day for us to send him there.” Sheriff Gary Launderville estimates Tovar’s total health care costs exceeds $400,000 and that’s just one inmate at one jail.
“Jail is becoming the holding facility for the mentally ill,” said Sheriff Launderville. And its hitting taxpayers hard. The Sheriff budgeted $28,000 for inmate’s medical costs this year.
Full story: Cost For Inmate Mental Health Care Piles Up For BV County Sheriff’s Office