DENVER — Colorado’s state mental hospital says an increase in court orders for mental health evaluations is making it difficult to meet a requirement that jail inmates receive such evaluations within 28 days.
The Denver Post reports (dpo.st/2t2RNBY) the Department of Human Services on Thursday asked that for the remainder of the year it not be held to the 28-day standard set in settling a lawsuit filed by Disability Law Colorado.
Disability Law Colorado managing attorney Mark Ivandick says the request means some inmates will languish in jail with no mental health treatment until they can be admitted to the state hospital for an evaluation.
Human Services Chief Medical Officer Patrick Fox says there was a 44 percent increase in court-ordered evaluations in May compared to May 2016.
