Kansas health agency reports male defendants waited an average of 171 days for Larned competency services
The presentation by Deputy Secretary Scott Brunner describes the State Security Program at Larned State Hospital, which serves people involved in the criminal justice system across Kansas. As of September 2021, 157 male defendants were on the waitlist, averaging 171 days, and 14 female defendants were waiting an average of 97 days. Completing a forensic evaluation took roughly 39 to 101 days depending on case type.
The agency listed measures it had introduced to cut the wait, including mobile competency evaluations in jails or communities and a same-day evaluation option that reduces transportation. Its stated obstacles were limited bed capacity for new defendants, nursing and clinical staff shortages, COVID-19 isolation requirements, and court orders that specifically require admission to the program.
The document predates the 2022 ACLU lawsuit and is one of the clearest official snapshots of the waitlist that fed it.
Source: Overview of the State Hospital Role in Competency November 1, 2021 — Kansas Legislature (special committee testimony), Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, by Scott Brunner
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