Klamath County builds a local alternative as Oregon's SB 24 restricts state hospital referrals
Local officials told KOBI that SB 24 limits how many people counties can send to Oregon State Hospital for the mental health evaluations and treatment required in criminal cases, partly to hold down costs. They put the hospital's daily cost at about $1,300 to $1,400 per patient.
Klamath County created a Behavioral Health Intervention Court, presided over by Judge Roxanne Osborne, that keeps defendants in the community. The station reported the county fell from seventh to roughly thirtieth among 36 counties in hospital referrals over three years. Each county is writing its own SB 24 compliance plan, courts are collecting more data, and a statewide summit was planned for March.
The story is a rare look at how an individual county adapted to the 2019 law.
Source: Oregon Senate bill aims to reduce numbers at State Hospital — KOBI-TV NBC5 / KOTI-TV NBC2, by Newsroom Staff
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