‘It sure looks like a crisis’: Lawmakers confront mental health backlog in Missouri jails

By: Steph Quinn

Outlets: Missouri Independent

Published: February 11, 2026

Words: 1,224

Last Updated: 3 weeks ago

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Missouri has just eight outpatient beds for people charged with crimes who have been ordered to undergo mental health treatment so their cases can move forward.

Those beds are full. So are the state’s 440 psychiatric hospital beds that serve Missourians ruled incompetent to stand trial because of a mental illness or cognitive disability.

There were 524 Missourians as of last week waiting for one of those spots who require treatment and services from the …

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