Kinikini

Lawsuit Against the State on Behalf of Mentally Ill Inmates Given Class Action Status

A federal judge has granted class action status to a lawsuit filed against the state of Utah on behalf of several mentally ill prison inmates. The Disability Law Center is suing the state on behalf of three inmates in Utah jails, alleging that they’re being held unconstitutionally while they wait to get treatment at the Utah State Hospital. Aaron Kinikini is the center’s legal director.


Defendants Are Stacked Up in Utah Jails Awaiting Mental Treatment

Utah’s system of handling mentally ill criminal defendants appears to be failing, a federal judge said in allowing a civil rights lawsuit to proceed against the state. Because of a persistent backlog at the Utah State Hospital, people judged to be mentally incompetent to stand trail are stacked up in county jails awaiting treatment to restore their competency, the Disability …