Texas Officials Seeking Room for Mentally Ill Inmates

by Brandi Grissom
February 2, 2012
16 Comments

State officials are trying to figure out what to do with about 400 mentally incompetent local jail inmates across the state ahead of a state district judge’s expected ruling to require state hospitals to find beds to treat them.

“It boils down to space,” said Carrie Williams, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Judge Orlinda Naranjo of Austin is poised to finalize a ruling this week that will require jails to send mentally incompetent inmates for treatment at a state hospital within 21 days of the time they are ordered committed.

She said in a ...

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Comments (16)

February 2, 2012 @ 7:57 a.m.

Carl Fant via Texas Tribune on Facebook

I think I may be mentally ill. I've been working in Corp America too long!
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February 2, 2012 @ 7:59 a.m.

Joan Marie Grable via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Years overdue... Too late for so many!
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February 2, 2012 @ 7:59 a.m.

Christopher Imfallible-Keeble via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Maybe they wouldn't have to wait so long if they stepped up, brought their A-game instead of being incompetent. Do we really want to reward incompetence?
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February 2, 2012 @ 8:05 a.m.

Adam Silva via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Just another one of our state government's many failures.
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February 2, 2012 @ 8:26 a.m.

Beth Gardner Bishop via Texas Tribune on Facebook

"the state should also focus more on providing mental health care services on the front end to prevent the mentally ill from ending up in jail. Right now, Texas is last among the states in its spending on mental health..." An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Poor mental health care costs triple in the long run.
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February 2, 2012 @ 8:34 a.m.

The Lewisville Texan Journal via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Amen, Beth!
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February 2, 2012 @ 8:54 a.m.

Alma Rosa Vera via Texas Tribune on Facebook

You are very right, Beth!!
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February 2, 2012 @ 8:58 a.m.

JC DemocratofTejas

Thank goodness for Judge Naranjo working on this situation that has needed attention for years. Unfortunately there are many people as ignorant as Christopher, and as flippant as Carl. Thank you Judge.
February 2, 2012 @ 9:28 a.m.

Dot Pate

I worked there in Austin and while I was there was a 3 story, as I remember, hospital building that was empty in 2006. When we asked about it, no one seemed to know why.
February 2, 2012 @ 9:32 a.m.

Mac Mcclure via Texas Tribune on Facebook

Mental Health America is the oldest and largest nonprofit mental health organization in the US. While it is true Texas is last in mental health spending per capita the "mental health" measured by the Mental Health America organization ranks Texas number 10 in the mental health of its citizens. Throwing money at a problem is not always justified.
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February 2, 2012 @ 9:38 a.m.

Gigi ATexaslady-Hyde via Texas Tribune on Facebook

@Mac Mcclure have you ever tried to get mental health care in El Paso? MHMR here is a bad joke at best, even with their re-organization many times over...just be glad you haven't had to experience it first hand.
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February 2, 2012 @ 9:48 a.m.

Cheryl LaDue via Texas Tribune on Facebook

and maybe we should take a look at WHY our mental hospitals AND prisons are full.
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February 2, 2012 @ 11:09 a.m.

BiffTannen

Thank you Ronald Reagan!
February 2, 2012 @ 11:12 a.m.

Lee Crites

Don't get me wrong with my comments here -- I believe something needs to be done about how we treat prisoners, all the way around. But my search of the constitution shows absolutely nothing in regards to "constitutional rights" in regard to how quickly these services need to be delivered.

I believe we need to do more, but the catchphrase "constitutional rights" is being bantered about in too many illigetimate ways as time goes on. This is one such example.

If what we are doing is not "right," then it is not right. Period. Don't try to pull some below-the-belt, illigetimate argument like this in order to force something to happen. It robs everyone of the true rights the constitution does guarantee.

You cannot make something "right," using means that are NOT "right."

Fix it! Fix the situation! But do it the right way.
February 2, 2012 @ 2:05 p.m.

Sierra Treanor via Texas Tribune on Facebook

once again paperwork and bureaucracy are wasting time and money...
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February 2, 2012 @ 8:48 p.m.

jpt51

Thank you Ronald Reagan for putting the mentally ill on the streets without providing adequate promised local community funding. Thanks too Rick Perry for ruining what was already a very underfunded program when you were elected governor.

Something is very wrong with our leader's interpretation of the Bible. How badly Texas serves the mentally ill is a tragedy. Every elected official ought to be required to visit the institutions and spend a week at local treatment centers. But hey, we have money to help billionaire Red McCombs start Formula 1 racing so the worlds wealthiest can have fun in Austin one weekend a year. When are our politicians going to do more than help well connected crony friends like Harold Simmons get richer off Texas taxpayers?