Medications in Orange County Jail

Theoretically, in the Orange County Jail (at Santa Ana) any medication you take on the outside is supposed to be administered to you in the jail - this includes sleeping pills at night and medicines such as Xanax for anxiety.  Unfortunately, there is often a lag between the inmates needs and the medical staffs ability to meet those needs. During the booking process your loved one will be screened, evaluated, and treated by the Correctional Mental Health Services staff. Sometimes, it can take several weeks for the inmate to begin receiving the medications they require. 

If an inmate requires mediation in jail, they simply fill out a medical request form.  Once the form has been processed, a nurse will come by three times a day, after breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and deliver the necessary medications.  However, even though an inmate may have a prescription for a specific medication on the outside, the continued administration of the medication on the inside is completely up to the medical staffs discretion.

If your loved one suffers from a Mental Illness, you need to notify the Watch Commander immediately.  This should be done by fax.

Prepare a fax requesting that your loved one be screened for placement in the mental health unit. Begin your fax with:
1. Your loved one’s full legal name
2. Date of birth
3. Booking number
4. Location

In the body of the fax, include:
1. His/her diagnosis
2. Psychiatrist’s or treating physician’s name, phone number and address
3. All current medication(s), dosage, and time of day to be administered
4. Information on medication that has proven to be ineffective or has dangerous side effects
5. Any history of suicide attempts or threats
6. Any other urgent medical conditions that might require immediate attention and medication currently prescribed for those conditions

• IMPORTANT: Do NOT address any impending charges against your loved one in this fax. Medical information only!
• Keep a copy of this fax for future reference. If your loved one is transferred to a different facility, you will need to fax this information again.
• On the cover page, indicate whether your loved one has provided you with a written confidentiality waiver. If your loved one has not previously done so, ask that he/she be asked to sign one while in jail.

The Jail
Mental Health staff is prohibited by law from giving anyone information about a client’s status unless they have the client’s consent, but the staff can receive information from relatives or friends without the client’s consent.

Once your loved one has been booked, fax the document described above to the Mental Health Team (county jail only) at 714-647-7496. Faxes can be sent 24 hours a day, seven days a week.