Jacob Rice/Lawrence Times
Aaron Wright was set to stand trial this week in the stabbing death of a Lawrence woman, but his competency evaluation prompted a Douglas County judge to find that he is unfit for trial and needs treatment at Larned State Hospital first.
Kansas officials have settled a lawsuit over delays in providing mental health evaluations and treatment for incarcerated individuals in county jails.
After months of meetings and complaints from civilians and law enforcement officials, lawmakers say they have clear targets in addressing the state’s severe mental health care shortages.
Hospital administrators told lawmakers at a hearing Tuesday that a lack of mental health services and overcrowding puts both patients and health care workers in danger at hospitals in south and central Kansas.
A federal report on the escape of a patient from the Larned State Hospital says the state put patients in “immediate jeopardy” by failing to ensure their safety and security.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and the National Police Accountability Project are suing Kansas over delays in mental health evaluations at the chronically understaffed Larned State Hospital.
