A Legislative Requirement
A Review of Competency Restoration Services for Inmates in County Jails
November 2024
Overview
The most significant reason for the increased number of individuals on the Health and Human Services Commission's (Commission) waitlist for competency restoration from September 2018 through December 2023 was the limited availability of beds, which was made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing challenges with staffing key medical positions. (See Background Information for more details about competency restoration.)
A total of 15,652 individuals were added to the Commission’s waitlist for competency restoration from September 2018 through December 2023. As of December 31, 2023, 2,254 individuals were on the waitlist, a 247 percent increase from September 1, 2018, when 650 individuals were on the waitlist. Based on the data available, auditors identified no significant disparities in the time individuals spent on the waitlist based on their race, gender, ethnicity, or age.