Judge asked to fine Mental Health Department for not meeting benchmarks

Attorneys representing plaintiffs in a competency restoration settlement agreement are asking a judge to fine the Oklahoma Mental Health Department $10,000 a day for failing to meet required benchmarks.

The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services hasn’t met the required terms of the settlement yet, according to a September report from court-appointed consultants. This included providing consultants with “incomplete and internally conflicting” data, submitting plans missing essential information, and not demonstrating “true urgency” in carrying out the consent decree.

The consent decree settled a 2023 lawsuit that alleged the Mental Health Department violated the rights of mostly indigent defendants who had been declared incompetent to stand trial by failing