General · Texas behavioral health news
Texas isn't responsible for Dallas County's mentally ill inmate backlog, courts say - KERA News
Texas HHSC (Google News) · June 12, 2026
In plain language
The Texas Supreme Court has declined to hear a case regarding wait times for mentally ill inmates in Dallas County. The county originally sued the state, claiming that long delays in moving inmates from jail to state mental hospitals were too expensive for local taxpayers. However, lower courts ruled that state law does not set a specific deadline for moving these individuals. This means mentally ill detainees may continue to wait in county jails for months or years until space becomes available in state facilities.
AI-generated summary of the source article. Not medical advice.
Key takeaways
- The Texas Supreme Court left a lower court ruling in place that favors the state over Dallas County.
- State law does not require health agencies to move mentally ill inmates into hospitals within a specific timeframe.
- Mentally ill detainees often wait months or years in local jails for a bed at a state hospital.
- Dallas County estimated that housing these blocked-up inmates costs local taxpayers over $7.5 million.
- The Texas Legislature recently allocated $2 billion to improve and expand the state hospital system.
Texas isn't responsible for Dallas County's mentally ill inmate backlog, courts say KERA News
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