Equity & Access · Texas behavioral health news
In jail instead of a hospital; the struggle to get mental health treatment in Texas - CBS News
Mental Health Equity (Google News) · November 12, 2025
In plain language
Many people with mental health issues in Texas are being held in county jails because there are not enough hospital beds available. Because state facilities are full, individuals often wait more than six months in a cell before they can get the professional medical treatment they need. Local officials are concerned that jails have become the state's largest mental health providers by default. Texas is currently spending billions of dollars to build more state hospitals to help address this shortage.
AI-generated summary of the source article. Not medical advice.
Key takeaways
- Approximately 40% to 70% of people in some Texas county jails have mental health conditions or developmental delays.
- The average wait for a state psychiatric hospital bed in Texas ranges from six to eight months.
- Some people wait in jail for treatment longer than the maximum sentence for their original minor charges.
- Shortages in community-based clinics often prevent people from getting help before a crisis leads to an arrest.
- Texas is spending $2.5 billion to renovate and expand the state hospital system to add over 680 new beds.
In jail instead of a hospital; the struggle to get mental health treatment in Texas CBS News
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