Episode No. 68- Understanding Mental Health Issues In The Criminal Justice System With Guest Ramey Heddins

The Texas Legislature is in full swing.  A few weeks ago, the House Criminal Jurisprudence committee was conducting a hearing on multiple bail bills.  The ACLU of Texas gave testimony highlighting a story alleging that a defendant was lost in the Harris County jail for 18 years without  a conviction before his case was dismissed.  Of course, the headline was not correct.  A defendant had been arrested for capital murder and found incompetent to stand trial.  What followed was a cycle of the defendant being sent for treatment for several years, then moved back to the county jail to be re-evaluated to determine whether he was now competent to stand trial.  The cycle was repeated multiple times.  On this episode of The Bail Post we talk about mental health issues in the Criminal Justice System.  Contrary to what was reported to the House committee, the problem was a mental health issue not a bail issue.  Our guest is Ramey Heddins from MHMR of Tarrant County.  Join us as we discuss trying to fit the square peg of mental health issues into the round hole of Criminal Justice.