Louisiana forensic backlog averages nearly seven months in jail before admission
The Advocate found 185 people on the Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System waitlist, which the paper describes as the state's only forensic facility. About 20 percent of those waiting from East Baton Rouge Parish as of October 2023 faced charges for lesser offenses such as simple burglary, theft and drug possession.
An assistant district attorney said the delays stall court dockets. The state has been out of compliance with the 2016 federal settlement's 15-day admission deadline, and a new unit at Villa Feliciana was projected for May 2024.
The article adds wait-time data to the 2022-2023 reporting on the backlog.
Source: Inside the mental health treatment backlog that's clogging Louisiana courts and jails. — The Advocate (Baton Rouge), by Rebecca Holland
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