Mental health problems soared after Hurricane Katrina, just as the citys ability to handle them plummeted, creating a crisis so acute that police officers say they take some disturbed people to a destination of last resort — jail.

Because of the storm damage, only two of New Orleans 11 hospitals are fully functioning. Whats more, one of the closed facilities is the sprawling Charity Hospital, which police officers had relied on to drop off people at any hour.

“You knew they were safe. You knew they would get the care they needed. You dont know either of those things now,” said James Arey, a psychologist who commands the police crisis negotiation team.

Without Charity Hospital, police can book a psychiatric suspect into Orleans Parish Prison. While it keeps someone who is potentially harmful to themselves or others off the street, it doesn’t guarantee they’ll get the proper treatment.

A prison spokeswoman said the jail spends $10,000 to $12,000 a month on psychiatric medication — 21% of the total it spends on pharmaceuticals.

[Read](http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-11-08-mental-health_x.htm?csp=34 “Read the Story”) (AP via USA Today)