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Board approves $11.2 million state grant to start community diversion program for felony defendants found incompetent to stand trial
Summary
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a five-year, $11,217,000 agreement to establish a community-based permanent diversion program for certain felony defendants found incompetent to stand trial, after behavioral health leaders described the program and answered supervisors’ questions about state caps and penalties.
Ventura County supervisors on April 8 unanimously approved a $11,217,000 grant agreement to start a community-based permanent diversion program for felony defendants found incompetent to stand trial.
County Behavioral Health Director Dr. Loretta Denning introduced the item and handed the presentation to Dr. John Shipper, the county’s chief of forensics, justice and reentry services, who described the funding and program design.
The program responds to changes at the California Department of State Hospitals that set a baseline “growth cap” on county referrals to state hospitals for defendants found incompetent to stand trial. Dr. Shipper said Ventura’s baseline was set at 80 admissions; after a pilot year the county was under that number but later exceeded it, producing a financial penalty. He told…
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