Lubbock was the first stop across the state for the House County Affairs Committee, where members discussed issues and possible solutions for several important topics issues around the area.
Friday’s agenda included Child Protective Services, rural hospital quality, and mental health issues in local jails.
Lubbock County Sheriff Kelly Rowe was among three officials who spoke on mentally-ill offenders. He claimed it is one of their biggest problems in facilities.
“That is what our focus is here today to try to identify those and potentially keep them out of the criminal justice system if treatment is the better option,” Rowe said.
To reduce that number, he spoke on a new screening process that LSO is constructing, which will provide more in-depth background information on each offender.