More than 360 inmates deemed incompetent to stand trial are being held in the Dallas County Jail while waiting for a bed at a state mental hospital.
The typical wait time in Dallas County for a bed at a maximum-security state hospital for a male prisoner declared unable to stand trial is 795 days. The average wait time for a female prisoner in the same circumstance is 230 days.
“That’s unacceptable,” said Theresa Daniel, Dallas County Commissioner District 1. “I don’t care how you cut it.”
WFAA reports that wait times for beds are at an all-time high across the state, according to state officials, causing inmates to wait for the proper mental health treatment. The report did not name the officials.
In county jails all around Texas, more than 2,300 individuals are waiting for state hospital beds. Long wait times have existed for years, but according to state officials, the pandemic has increased the wait. Texas had a 270-day wait time for a bed in maximum security in 2020. Now it is 514 days.
In February 2021, a judge declared one of defense attorney Stara Roemer’s clients incompetent. The court mandated that he be treated in a state mental facility. More than 460 days later, he is still in jail.
“There’s no end in sight,” said Roemer. “And that’s another one of the problems… you have literally no idea when their number’s gonna finally be called.”
The costs of keeping such inmates in jail while they wait for a bed are covered by county taxpayers.
Daniel told WFAA that the expense of housing a prisoner for the County is generally $67 per day. However, the price rises to roughly $120 per day if a prisoner requires medical attention or mental health treatment.
Dallas Commissioner John Wiley Price, District 3, proposed a resolution to the Commissioner’s Court in which he stated that Dallas County is paying up to $470 per day for some inmates to receive specialized mental health treatment. The County has spent more than $13 million this year on caring for inmates waiting on a hospital bed at a state mental health facility, according to the document.
The resolution, which was passed last month, was intended to “encourage the State and the Governor to ensure that adequate and robust funds are directed toward mental healthcare reform in order to address this significant issue backlogging jails and plaguing Texans.”
Efforts have been made to expand the number of beds, according to state officials. There are proposals to construct a mental hospital in Dallas with around 25 beds, and 70 maximum-security beds are being added in Kerrville.
