When someone who has mental illness is charged with a crime, that person goes through a process to “restore” them through treatment so that they can be mentally competent enough to stand trial.
However, the state has experienced a shortage of beds in mental facilities available to conduct that restoration process. As a result, the average time someone is waiting for restoration services has skyrocketed to 275 days, said Republican Sen. Brian Strickland, who represents McDonough.
Senate Bill 533, which Strickland sponsored, would allow the restoration process to be conducted in jails. Senators approved the measure Thursday in a 44-1 vote. It will now go to the House for consideration.
Roughly 1,000 people are waiting for an evaluation to determine whether they’re competent, said Kevin Tanner, the commissioner of Georgia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.
“We’re working hard, but there is a backlog and it is very challenging,” Tanner said.
Tanner said the department opened a pilot program, conducting restorations in jails in Cobb County, where a section of the jail is reserved for those services. The department is also exploring a similar program in Dodge County. SB 533 would allow for more such programs, supporters said.
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