California State Hospitals Sued Over Long Waits For Forensic Competency Evaluations

Families of offenders with mental illness arrested in Ventura County are suing the California Department of State Hospitals and California Forensic Medical Group (CFMG) over long waits for forensic competency evaluations and competency restoration. The plaintiffs claim the DSH often delayed state hospital admission for more than 90 days after a judge had ordered competency evaluation for individuals deemed Incompetent to Stand Trial (IST). As a result, the individuals who were not convicted of a crime were incarcerated in Ventura County jails while waiting for an open state hospital bed. During this time, the county’s jail medical services contractor . . .