Some defendants with mental illnesses are waiting in the Dallas County jail for more than two years before being transferred to state hospitals.
Dallas County officials say 400 inmates who have been deemed to be “incompetent to stand trial” have waited an average of either 160 days on nonviolent charges or 330 days on violent charges. Dallas County’s average wait time for a state psychiatric hospital bed is longer than any other urban county in Texas, with some waiting more than 800 days for hospital admittance, according to state data.
Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot said the wait times can surpass the maximum sentence of some misdemeanor charges, compelling the county to dismiss cases entirely.
Read more from our partners at The Dallas Morning News.
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