💸💔 “Pay Up, Washington!” Court Slaps State with $100 Mil Fine for Neglecting Jailhouse Mental Health 🏦🤷♀️
TL;DR;
A federal judge has handed down the ultimate roast to Washington State, ordering them to cough up over $100 million for neglecting the psychiatric needs of the mentally ill inmates. It appears the state’s Department of Social and Health Services has been turning a blind eye to this since 2015. Maybe, just maybe, this could be the wake-up call they need. 📣😲💡
When it comes to providing the necessary psychiatric services for the mentally ill who are unfortunate enough to find themselves behind bars, it seems Washington State has been caught napping! 💤🚔 And this isn’t some newbie mistake, my friends. No, no. They’ve been doing this merry dance since 2015, with no one putting their foot down until now.
So, what’s been going down? Well, when folks with mental health disabilities are charged with crimes, they’re meant to have a competency evaluation. That makes sense, right? After all, if you’re not in the right state of mind, how are you supposed to face charges? 🧠⚖️ The issue? If the evals deem them incompetent to face charges, it’s up to the state to step in and provide services to get them back on track.
But the state, instead of standing up to the plate, seems to have been heading out for a long lunch break instead. A lack of funding, personnel, and beds in mental health facilities have led to extended wait times in jails for these individuals. These delays, my friends, are apparently violating their rights, and they’re not standing for it any longer. 🕗🚫👊
You’d think after entering into a settlement agreement in 2018 to address these wait times, things would start looking up, right? But it seems the opposite is true. The wait times have only grown longer! According to U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman, the state’s been putting its efforts into closing wards instead of creating more space in its psychiatric hospitals. What’s up with that, Washington? 🏥🔒😕
Pechman wasn’t shy about calling out the state’s Department of Social and Health Services for their “lack of foresight, creativity, planning, and timely response to a crisis of its own making.” Ouch, that’s gotta hurt, but maybe it’s the reality check needed. 📝💥🔮
And now, the bill has come due, with the state facing fines of over $100 million. That’s one expensive tab, folks. Maybe next time, they’ll take a more proactive approach to addressing this ongoing crisis. 💰💰💰
So, what’s next, people? Will Washington finally take action and address the elephant in the room, or will we continue down this rabbit hole, leaving the mentally ill in our jails waiting for much-needed services? And what about other states? Are they facing similar issues, or is this just a Washington thing? 🤔🌎💭
And here’s a thought to ponder: Is it high time our society took a long hard look at the intersection of mental health and criminal justice? Is it fair to treat individuals with mental health disabilities as criminals instead of patients needing care? 👮♂️🚑💡
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