TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - The Kansas Department of Disability and Aging Services (KDADS) announced a historic settlement with the National Police Accountability Project (NPAP) and the ACLU of Kansas to reduce the wait times for people awaiting competency evaluations and restoration services at Larned State Hospital, the largest psychiatric facility in the state.
The settlement follows a lawsuit representing three public defenders and a mother, who served as a “next of friend” of a person being held pretrial in jail at the time of filing.
Among them was G.W. a Native American man who was incarcerated for 31 months in awaiting competency services for a six-month sentence. There are dozens of people like G.W. who are languishing in jail because of the waitlist and will have a chance at receiving timely services with the improvements made possible by this settlement.
“This settlement is more than a legal agreement; it’s a lifeline for those who have been lost in the system, a promise that their dignity and humanity will no longer be ignored.”
Statement from Lauren Bonds, NPAP’S executive director
In the settlement, KDADS commits to increasing the number of treatment beds available at Larned State Hospital while addressing the chronic understaffing and underfunding that has contributed to the facility running at a limited capacity.
“This is a huge step in the ongoing work to ensure our state’s detention practices do not criminalize mental health issues. Remaining in the jail environment is devastating and deeply harmful even for those whose mental health is not in question, and condemning Kansans to languish across the state in their county jails was contradictory to our values of justice.”
Statement from Monica Bennett, ACLU of Kansas Legal Director
By January 2025, KDADS will reopen 30 currently closed beds and make its best efforts to open 52 additional beds by January 2027 as KDADS has only requested funding to reopen those beds in their budget request.