Ohio's state psychiatric hospitals run near capacity as defendants wait in jail, public radio reports
The Ohio Newsroom reported that the state's six psychiatric hospitals, with roughly 1,100 beds, were operating at about 96 percent capacity. Most patients come through the criminal justice system, including defendants awaiting trial, those found incompetent to stand trial, and people found not guilty by reason of insanity, with stays averaging about six months.
Because of the waiting lists, many people in that pipeline remain in jail rather than in treatment. The governor's working group recommended adding beds (including more than 200 planned at a Miami Valley facility), expanding community prevention and crisis services, pretrial diversion and jail-based behavioral health programs.
The story ties the competency pipeline directly to Ohio's overall psychiatric bed supply.
Source: Ohio’s psychiatric hospitals are nearly full. What can the state do? — The Ohio Newsroom (Statehouse News Bureau), by Kendall Crawford
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