What actually happens in WA when someone's not competent to stand trial

[Judi Lynn]

July 7, 2023 at 6:00 am Updated July 7, 2023 at 6:00 am

By Esmy Jimenez
Seattle Times staff reporter

A new ward called F-9 opened at Western State Hospital in Lakewood, Pierce County, this May. Eldorado Brown, a 40-year-old man coming from the King County Jail, can tell because it smells like fresh paint.

Brown, who is facing felony charges and has a history of mental illness, was among the first patients transferred here as 29 beds opened for people awaiting mental health services from jails.

Facing a surge in demand from local courts, Western State is expanding the amount of space it has for patients like Brown — people sent to state facilities for restoration treatment or attainment, a kind of basic mental health service that aims to make defendants competent to stand trial.

Between 2013 and 2021, competency referrals more than doubled across most counties, according to data from the Department of Social and Health Services. To keep up, the hospital is investing $612 million in the construction of a 350-bed hospital, set to open as early as 2028.

But as the state’s largest psychiatric hospital receives more and more of these patients, what does the restoration process actually look like? The treatment is extremely limited, often only providing medication and a basic education about the criminal legal system.

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