Salem man held in jail 'on the idea of future crimes he might commit'
https://www.streetroots.org/news/2021/08/18/jail-future-crimes
Once someone is civilly committed, they are under the jurisdiction of the Oregon Health Authority who can then refer them to the Oregon State Hospital. If the individual meets admission criteria they are then added to the hospital’s civil committals admissions list.
In Oregon, there are currently 31 people on that list, according to a detailed statement provided to Aria Seligmann, Oregon Health Authority communications officer. The average wait time for the 31 patients on the admission list is nearly 76 days.
The statement noted the longest wait of the 31 people is over 400 days long dating back to July 1, 2020; however, Seligmann added the caveat they have a “very specific situation.” Seligmann declined to provide further information because it would “contain identifying information.”
This year, only three people have been admitted to the state hospital through civil committals. This contrasts starkly with admissions figures prior to the pandemic. In 2019, 256 people were admitted to the state hospital through civil committals, with their average wait time being 24.5 days, or less than a third of what it is this year, according to Seligmann.
** Deeper rooted questions, why does mental illness happen, why is it ignored and not addressed with programs or treatment plans for inhouse or outpatient care? Why are those with mental health issues treated as lower class citizens and not worthy of being an asset to a community?