What happens when a person with bipolar disorder is off their meds?

This is in regards to the depths of the mood swings. I had an incident in the jail where a new inmate said they were bipolar and hadn’t taken their meds in a week. They said they felt like snapping and didn’t want to share a cell. As I was arranging to move them, the inmate walked over and threatened to beat up their cellmate. My question is, can this condition make someone unable to control violent impulses? Or was the inmate taking advantage of the situation?

I’d like to make a more informed decision on whether to send them to medical or segregation if this should happen again. I know extreme irritability is a symptom, but don’t they still know right from wrong?

I sent the inmate to segregation because I suspected I was being played.