State Sued as Mentally Ill Defendants Face Long Waits in Jail
KQED
In California hundreds of defendants declared incompetent to stand trial are sitting in county jails awaiting transfer to state facilities for mental health treatment. Commenting on an ACLU lawsuit, Dan Mistak, COCHS' general counsel, said the lack of treatment beds dates back decades to when California began deinstitutionalizing. There hasn't been a social safety net and the jail has stepped in to make up for a lack of services.