Civil Commitment
Commitment following an incompetency finding.
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Vermont bill would create a prison-based forensic facility for people found unfit for trial or legally insane Statewide
Source: Seven Days, by Colin Flanders
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Rhode Island Supreme Court rules a defendant on outpatient competency commitment must be discharged within 30 days of being found nonrestorable Statewide
Source: Rhode Island Supreme Court, by Rhode Island Supreme Court (Justice Long, for the Court)
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Maine bill would make permanent the option to move violent incompetent defendants from Riverview to prison unit Statewide
Source: Sun Journal, by John Terhune
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Judge hears objections to Oregon's hospital stay limits but signals he will only refine them Statewide
Source: Oregon Capital Chronicle, by Ben Botkin
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Pennsylvania Supreme Court lets judges dismiss charges against defendants who will never be competent Statewide
Source: Spotlight PA, by Danielle Ohl of Spotlight PA and Brittany Hailer of the Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit Journalism
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Reporting finds people released after incompetency dismissals often get no follow-up treatment National
Source: KFF Health News, by Katheryn Houghton
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Virginia lets courts divert incompetent misdemeanor defendants to civil evaluation instead of restoration Statewide
Source: Virginia Legislative Information System, by Virginia General Assembly (introduced by Sen. T. Montgomery "Monty" Mason)
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Alaska victims' advocates say incompetency findings can end a case with no closure and no commitment
Source: Alaska's News Source (KTUU), by Taylor Burke
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Vermont enacts Act 57 revising competency and insanity procedures and creating a forensic care working group Statewide
Source: Vermont General Assembly
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Kentucky enacts a commitment track for violent defendants who cannot be restored to competency Statewide
Source: Kentucky Legislative Research Commission, by Kentucky General Assembly
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New Mexico Supreme Court allows longer commitments for defendants found incompetent and dangerous Statewide
Source: Santa Fe New Mexican, by Victoria Traxler
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Arizona House passes bill to commit defendants who are incompetent, unrestorable and dangerous; fiscal analysts flag large costs Statewide
Source: Arizona State Legislature, by Arizona State Senate Research
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Kentucky senators file a bill to create an involuntary-commitment track for violent defendants found incompetent and unlikely to be restored Statewide
Source: Kentucky General Assembly (Legislative Research Commission), by Kentucky Legislative Research Commission
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Commentary compares state approaches for defendants who are incompetent, unrestorable and deemed dangerous National
Source: Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, by Joseph D. Bloom and Scott E. Kirkorsky
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Study finds rising numbers of incompetent defendants being routed into long-term hospital care National
Source: CNS Spectrums (Cambridge University Press), by Katherine Warburton, Barbara E. McDermott, Anthony Gale, and Stephen M. Stahl
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Reporting finds Oregon's 2019 aid-and-assist law is leaving some misdemeanor defendants without inpatient care Statewide
Source: NPR (reported by Oregon Public Broadcasting), by Conrad Wilson
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South Carolina Supreme Court rules courts cannot commit an incompetent, unrestorable defendant to a disability-services facility Statewide
Source: Prison Legal News, by Lonnie Burton
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Mississippi man jailed nearly 11 years without trial after being found incompetent is approved for transfer to a state hospital
Source: Mississippi Free Press (AP, originally Jackson Free Press), by Associated Press
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Houston misdemeanor defendants wait in jail for mental hospital transfer as forensic beds crowd out civil care
Source: Houston Press, by Meagan Flynn
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Minnesota legislative auditor finds most defendants found incompetent stay in jail awaiting treatment Statewide
Source: Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor, by Office of the Legislative Auditor, Program Evaluation Division (project manager Joel Alter)
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Hennepin County data show about half of defendants found incompetent fall into a gap between criminal and civil commitment courts
Source: MinnPost, by Andy Mannix