There are not enough mental health beds in Oklahoma to handle people in jails who need treatment. It’s the contention of several judges and criminal justice advocates who testified this week during a House interim study on why State Question 781 has not been implemented.
Tulsa World’s Randy Krehbiel writes a Custer County judge told lawmakers the waiting list for a prisoner to be transferred to the Oklahoma Forensic Center in Vinita is six months to a year, causing more harm to the inmate who needs help.
Some lawmakers feel the spirit of SQ 781 was met when the Legislature added more money to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse services. However, the state question specifies the money is to go to counties for mental health services.
Read the Tulsa World story here.
