DCF told: Treat inmates now

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Thu, Dec. 07, 200
DCF told: Treat inmates now
An appellate court told the Department of Children & Families that the law is clear: Dozens of mentally ill jail inmates must get treatment immediately.
BY SUSANNAH A. NESMITH AND CAROL MARBIN MILLER
[e-mail]

The Third District Court of Appeal ruled Wednesday that the Department of Children & Families cannot continue to violate court orders to take mentally incompetent jail inmates into state treatment facilities.

The department had argued that it didn't have the money to comply with the court orders and therefore had to leave inmates in county jails for weeks and sometimes months until beds opened up.

But Florida law requires the department to provide treatment within 15 days after the inmate is ordered into state care.

The appellate judges noted that nothing in the statute gives the DCF discretion to refuse court orders and pointed out that for the past two decades the courts have ruled repeatedly against the department when it made the same argument.
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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/16180904.htm

[wakeme2008]

1. under Jebbie DCF has become a sad joke

and has had more heads than most agencies.... And the child of Florida pay for this...