Harris County Jail to form new Mental Health unit

It is the second largest jail in the nation, and it’s about to set the standard for the country.

On any given day, there are 9,000 inmates in the Harris County Jail, 20 percent of them with a history of mental illness. According to some experts, that makes the jail the largest mental health facility in the state.

Some say the jail's move is revolutionary, but will it make a difference?

With that in mind, the jail has formed a new mental health unit comprised of 61 specially trained officers. The jail also spent $1 million converting four cellblocks into mental health housing. Under the new program, inmates will be screened during intake instead of being placed immediately among the general population. For some of these inmates, it will be their first encounter with a mental health professional.