March 10, 2010

J.B., et al., vs. Barbour, et al.

The lawsuit against the State of Mississippi alleges that the state fails to provide community-based mental health services to children with mental illness; the plaintiffs said that the lack of services denies children access to care, which increases the risk of institutionalization. It was filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center Mississippi Youth Justice Project, the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, and Rob McDuff, a Mississippi civil rights attorney. The plaintiffs seek class action status for the lawsuit, and a preliminary and permanent injunction on the state's current practices.