Pennsylvania accused of flouting deal on jailed mentally ill
HARRISBURG (AP) – Pennsylvania is being accused of blatantly violating its agreement in federal court to ensure mentally ill defendants avoid long stays in jail before they are transferred to a state hospital for treatment.
Civil rights lawyers returned to federal court in Harrisburg on Thursday to insist the state continues to commit the nation’s worst constitutional violations of mentally ill defendants. They say mentally ill defendants are still waiting over a year to leave jail for a state hospital, and want it reduced to seven days.
The lawyers also say the number of people awaiting transfer has risen to 258 from 215 at the time of the state’s January 2016 settlement.
They say some mentally ill defendants accused of petty crimes wait longer in jail than a guilty verdict would have required.