Investigation finds 54 deaths among Texans waiting for a state hospital bed
A KXAN Austin data investigation found that 54 people died — 30 of them in jail — while on the waitlist for a Texas state hospital bed between September 2018 and December 2023. The statewide waitlist peaked above 2,550 people, and 168 defendants were "timed out" of jail, meaning their cases were resolved before they were ever restored.
The findings prompted a state senator to introduce legislation requiring formal tracking of waitlist deaths, and set the factual backdrop for the sweeping federal ruling against the state that would follow roughly a year and a half later.
Source: At least 54 died since 2018 waiting for state hospital opening, senator calls for more tracking — KXAN, by David Barer and Josh Hinkle
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