(Jefferson City, Mo.) — Missouri has hundreds of people in jail awaiting a mental health evaluation to determine if they are competent to go on trial for their alleged crimes.

State Rep. Brian Seitz, R-Branson, is proposing to require any person arrested and subject to an evaluation have one within 45 days of their arrest.

“We have inmates that have been held, you know, in local municipalities, cities, and so forth, for upwards of a year awaiting a mental health evaluation,” Seitz told Missourinet.

The long line for a competency evaluation has been an increasing problem for Missouri over the past few years. The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri just filed a lawsuit against the state because of the delays. According to the ACLU, Missouri law requires an evaluation within 60 days

See Full Page