January 20, 2003 LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- A federal judge approved a settlement in a lawsuit that accused the state of violating the rights of mentally ill inmates by delaying psychological examinations and treatment.
The settlement obligates the Arkansas State Hospital as of July 1 to mentally evaluate prisoners within 30 days of a trial judge's order.
"They have a long way to go. But they have started," said lawyer Bettina Brownstein, who sued the state Department of Human Services in 2001 on behalf of the Arkansas chapter of the American Civil Liberties.
The lawsuit claimed that inmates' constitutional rights were violated because they had to wait up to a year for evaluation or treatment at the Little Rock hospital, which the department oversees.
U.S. District Judge Stephen M. Reasoner ruled in May that the state must improve care for the inmates.
In September, the two sides reached a settlement. Reasoner approved a version this week.
In the settlement, the hospital agreed to develop a system to help them evaluate the more urgent cases first when a judge has ordered treatment aimed at restoring competency for trial.
On Wednesday, the Department of Human Services told the court that 92 inmates are waiting to be evaluated. The report said the department is trying to add staff members to do more evaluations and hopes to have the process speeded up significantly in the next few months.
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
