A Baltimore County Judge is trying to send a $608,000 message to the Maryland Department of Health to encourage the agency to fulfill their obligation to admit individuals in local detention centers into the State hospitals within the required 10-day timeframe.
According to a recent Baltimore Banner article, Baltimore County Circuit Judge Nancy M. Purpura issued a combined $608,000 in sanctions on the Maryland Department of Health (MDH). The fines come as a result of delays in the transfer of individuals found not competent to stand trial. They are statutorily required to be transferred within 10 days, but due to bed shortages and discharge backlogs at the state facilities, these individuals have not been able to admitted.
Almost all local detention centers in the state are in similar positions, with average transfer wait times falling between forty-five to sixty-five days. The cost of care and undue strain on staff is compounding the budget and staffing challenges already being felt statewide. The shortage of treatment facilities is compounded by the surge in community need as outlined by MDH during the court proceedings.
From the article:
Bryan Mroz, deputy secretary of operations in the MDH Healthcare System for the Maryland Department of Health, testified that, four or five years ago, there were about 500 court orders every year. The latest data shared by the state recorded 1,126 admission orders in 2023, a sharp increase even from the year before, which totaled 865.
Judge Purpura was unconvinced by MDH efforts and moved forward with the sanctions regardless of the evidence presented by the agency on challenges and current efforts. While the transfer backlog issue has worsened over the last seven years, the MDH budget has grown by $6B over the same time period, to just shy of $20B in FY24.
