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David Barer's blog posts

The waitlist for mental health help in Texas jails is a mess, with fatal consequences
posted 02/02/2022
How two reporters laid bare chronic problems in Texas jails, where inmates with mental health needs languish and die at alarming rates.
When a mental health crisis in Texas snowballs into something even worse
posted 07/21/2021
Because of stiff penalties and a backlogged state hospital system, relatively minor assaults can turn into extended legal debacles for those with mental illness in Texas.

David Barer's Blog
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The waitlist for mental health help in Texas jails is a mess, with fatal consequences
How two reporters laid bare chronic problems in Texas jails, where inmates with mental health... more »
posted 02/02/22
When a mental health crisis in Texas snowballs into something even worse
Because of stiff penalties and a backlogged state hospital system, relatively minor assaults can... more »
posted 07/21/21

David Barer's Work
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Project: Mental competency consequences: the hidden, unreliable data Texas tracks… or doesn’t
This project was supported by the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism....
Project: ‘Horrifying’ wait times for state hospital beds, official says
State data show a record number of people experiencing a mental health crisis are waiting in jails for beds in state hospitals that don’t have enough staff to operate at capacity.
Project: State of Texas: Leaders consider ‘consequences’ of not tracking state hospital waitlist data
In recent years, there have been efforts to increase other competency restoration alternatives – like jail-based or outpatient methods – but for some people, those options are not always available.