Three Things to Know About the Rise of Criminally Ill Patients in Ohio

Three Things to Know About the Rise of Criminally Ill Patients in Ohio

Criminal defendants are overwhelming an understaffed state mental health system that, a few years ago, served thousands more patients.

What to know about the rise of criminally ill patients in Ohio

Ohio’s state-run psychiatric hospital system serves more than 1,000 patients daily. It’s a system of last resort for people with no money, no insurance, severe mental illness and nowhere else to go. Often flagged by loved ones or judges as a danger to themselves or others, patients are placed by court order into the system’s six regional hospitals for stabilization and treatment. But now, in a trend that predates the pandemic, the path to care a…