Texas senator and county official call state hospital waits 'horrifying' as the jail waitlist hits 2,309
KXAN reported that the state hospital waitlist reached a record 2,309 in March 2022, and that in November 2021 the number waiting, 1,933, had exceeded the total number of available beds, 1,510, for the first time. People found incompetent to stand trial who would normally be restored quickly now languish in jail, often more than a year.
State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt said solutions are known, naming workforce, expanded Medicaid and diversion from jail, and criticized reacting to a perpetual crisis. A member of the Joint Committee on Access and Forensic Services representing urban counties called the situation 'horrifying' at the committee's April 20 meeting and said she could not imagine another year of hoping for more legislative funding while about 2,400 people sat in jail.
Source: 'Horrifying' wait times for state hospital beds, official says — KXAN (Austin), by David Barer, Josh Hinkle
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