The severity of the situation in Oregon’s jails, which are housing mentally ill inmates while they wait for beds at the state psychiatric hospital, was highlighted in a Wall Street Journal piece published yesterday.
Prosecutors and municipal administration are frustrated because there is nowhere to place these patients until they can be “restored to competency” and stand trial. In March, the WSJ contacted the health departments of every state to find out how many people were on waiting lists and whether or not that number had increased over the previous four years.
A more than 1,300% growth rate makes Oregon third in the nation. Compared to Louisiana and West Virginia, it ranked third.
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The report emphasizes the disintegration of Oregon’s mental health system during the epidemic. As a result, governments have allocated multiple hundred million dollars to new initiatives.
And this year, thanks to a deal struck with activists and signed by a federal judge, patients at Oregon State Hospital started getting out early. However, the elimination of the hospital’s waiting list has not yet occurred. There are just too many people being referred to it.
Alternative solutions have been tried in other states. More states are opting to construct psychiatric beds, while others are enabling inmates to undergo competency restoration in secure facilities.
Both proposals have been shot down by Oregon legislators thus far. Prosecutors and judges are frustrated because they feel they have no appropriate options when dealing with people with mental illness who have been accused of violent crimes.
Prosecutors in Washington County are requesting access to medication and legal education from the county’s hospital or jail. Two judges have recently reached this conclusion.
Lisa Akers, who is accused of shooting two people and killing one in 2020, was ordered delayed early departure from the state hospital on Tuesday by Washington County Circuit Judge Janelle Wipper.
This week, Wipper agreed with prosecutors’ claims that the hospital committed medical malpractice when caring for Akers.
You can learn more about what’s occurring in Oregon by consulting the following sources.
- After Deadly Oregon Crash, Truck Driver Indicted on Manslaughter Charges.
- AAA Says That Today is the first of the 100 Deadliest Days for Teen Drivers
Washington County Sheriff Pat Garrett has previously stated that the practice of restoring competency in jail before transferring mentally ill inmates to a county treatment center violates state statutes.
Last week, Presiding Judge Kathleen J. Proctor ruled that Ian Tunger be restored to competency in jail prior to his transfer to a county treatment facility. When asked for a remark, Garrett remained silent.
