PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that the Oregon State Hospital must impose strict limits on the length of time it treats patients accused of crimes who need mental health treatment. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Monday that Judge Michael W. Mosman’s ruling seeks to ease the psychiatric hospital’s overcrowding, speed up patient admission and stop people waiting for admission from languishing in jail. Effective immediately, the hospital must release “aid-and-assist” patients accused of misdemeanors within 90 days of admission, and those accused of felonies within six months of admission. Those are patients found by judge unable to participate in their own defense at trial.
Judge: Oregon State Hospital stays to be strictly limited
