State legislature looks to prevent mentally ill defendants from being released

Tightening up Washington’s mental health system is one of the ways the state legislature is working to cut down on violent crime.

A series of bills on this issue is cruising through this session, including one that would make it less likely a mentally ill and violent person could be released.

There are a handful of cases each year when defendants are found not competent to stand trial but aren’t sick enough to be committed. Those defendants are usually let out on the streets without any treatment.

Pierce County prosecutor Mark Lindquist testified before the legislature this session saying that makes no sense.

“Once a person is charged with a violent felony and they’ve been found to be too mentally ill to stand trial and be held accountable and they’ve been civilly committed, that person shouldn’t be released into our community until there’s been a finding by a judge that they are no longer a danger,” Lindquist said.

A bill, that would require court approval before these defendants are released, has cleared the state Senate and Wednesday gets a hearing in the house.

Senator Jim Hargrove sponsored the bill. “This would close these very few ‘gap’ cases where we have a murder occurred, but they’re not competent to stand trial and because of how our involuntary commitment process works, they might potentially be released,” he said.

A similar bill has passed the house. It is awaiting a hearing in the senate.

These mental health bills seem to have bi-partisan support as well as support from Governor Jay Inslee.

Read more:
The mental health maze – like climbing down a ladder to hell