A special hearing lasting nine hours yesterday resulted in further disagreement between the State of Mississippi and the U.S. Department of Justice about oversight of the state's mental health system.
This legal fight began in 2011 when the DOJ conducted an in-depth investigation. It found the state was providing inadequate community-based mental health services and relying on hospital confinements, also considered a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The DOJ sued Mississippi in 2016 after years of negotiations with the state failed.
During yesterday's hearing, District Judge Carlton Reeves urged attorneys on both sides to come to an agreement soon because he says there are Mississippians depending on it.
"We have to be able to protect those who cannot protect themselves," said Reeves.
"I just ask that you continue to work with each other and help us get to an appropriate resolution sooner rather than later."
After the case went to trial in 2019, Reeves ruled that Mississippi’s mental health system discriminates against people with mental illness. A Special Master with expertise in community-based care was appointed to the case to make recommendations based off plans proposed by both parties. Of those recommendations is a monitor to oversee the system.
While the State of Mississippi is pushing back from the idea, Joy Hogge with Families as Allies says she supports the suggestion.
"And if our state could fix this, the state would not have gotten sued and lost. With something like this it is very important. This is about some of our most vulnerable citizens in the state. So we absolutely want to make sure that they're responded to with the same fairness as anyone else would be," said Hogge.
At some point, a final ruling is expected to come from Judge Reeves.
