Monterey County Jail opens program for inmates found incompetent to stand trial

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) The Monterey County Sheriff's Office and the Department of State Hospitals have created a new program for inmates who are found incompetent to stand trail.

Normally, inmates would have to wait for a bed to be available at a state hospital, which tend to be low on beds. Now the inmates, who mainly have behavioral health issues, can be housed at the Monterey County Jail through the Jail-Based Competency Program.

Eventually, it will house inmates from Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties after a COVID-19 moratorium ends.

The program involves an educator, clinician, administrative professional and a psychologist program director. The goal of the program is to restore inmates to competency through groups, mental health discussions, one-on-one treatment, mock trials and exercise.

The program lasts 90 days, and if the inmate is still incompetent to stand trial, they will be sent to another location for longer-term care.

The Sheriff's Office said there will be three inmates starting this week, and four more inmates will move to the program at the end of this week or early next week.