NASMHPD research arm catalogs jail-based competency restoration programs and their results
This NRI paper by Amanda Wik describes jail-based competency restoration as a relatively new approach used by only a few states, citing a 2016 study that counted nine states with such programs: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. It distinguishes full-scale programs, where defendants stay until restored or found unrestorable, from time-limited programs that provide services while a defendant waits for a hospital bed.
The paper profiles individual county and state programs and the outcomes available for them. Examples include an Arizona program in Pima County reporting 79 percent of defendants restored, a Colorado program in Arapahoe County reporting 67 percent restored in data through 2015, and California's San Bernardino program reporting a restoration rate in the 45 to 54 percent range. It also notes a 2017 Sonoma County program with room for 12 defendants that already had 35 people on a waitlist in January 2018.
The author stresses that how services are delivered varies with local resources and contracts, and that public data on many programs is sparse, which limits comparison. For the competency system, the paper is a snapshot of how states were using jails as a pressure valve for hospital waitlists.
Source: Alternatives to Inpatient Competency Restoration Programs: Jail-Based Competency Restoration Programs — NRI (NASMHPD Research Institute), by Amanda Wik
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