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BRIEF: Public defender cites concerns over delays in treatment for mental health prisoners

Commercial Appeal - 9/26/2016

Sept. 26--People detained at the Shelby County Jail are waiting an "extraordinary" amount of time for mental health treatment, Shelby County's chief public defender said in a recent letter.

Referencing a crisis in admissions to state hospitals from the Shelby County Jail, Shelby County Public Defender Stephen Bush said in a letter to the state Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services that he is "shocked" by the delay for people who have been court-ordered for admission to the Western Mental Health Institute in Bolivar.

"As of this moment, there are 10 people in the Shelby County Jail awaiting involuntary judicial hospitalization after a state court judge determined they require treatment and care in an inpatient setting," Bush wrote. "Together they have been waiting a total of 795 days, which creates unnecessary risk of harm and is extraordinarily costly to Shelby County taxpayers. Only one person has been admitted to the state hospital system from the Shelby County Jail since July 21, 2016. He waited 162 days."

The letter is below.

This story will be updated.

(If you're viewing this on a mobile device, please CLICK HERE to see the document.)

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