Demand for competency orders jumps again as Colorado misses its 28-day deadline
The Denver Post reported that competency orders grew from 146 to 215 between June 2016 and June 2017, and restoration orders from 54 to 93. The Pueblo hospital had 72 beds designated for competency work but was holding 177 people in evaluation or restoration.
Colorado's 2018-19 budget plan included more than $20 million in response, including money for partnerships with private hospitals, 62 new jail-based competency beds and added beds at Fort Logan. A Disability Law Colorado attorney said the department had made false promises for a decade.
The piece documents how rising referrals were overwhelming a system under a 2012 settlement.
Source: Attorneys: Mentally ill accused of crimes waiting too long for competency evaluations — The Denver Post (republished by Corrections1), by Jennifer Brown
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