4

| LOCAL NEWS | THE MERCURY

SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2016

Hospital

People with
mental illness
are more likely
to be abused,
more likely to
experience
violence,
more likely
to be further
traumatized.

FROM PAGE 1

petent to proceed. Hopefully. And right now were

not going forward to trial
and hes not getting any
help so its frustrating, said
Benjamin Cooper, Corbins
attorney from the Montgomery County Public Defenders office.
Corbin, who spent his
23rd birthday in Montgomery County Correctional Facility, was arrested April 7,
2015, after allegedly shooting his father, who was behind the wheel driving
westbound on I-76, near
the Matsonford Road exit.
At the time, his parents
were taking him for drug
and mental health rehabilitation at Malvern Institute.
On Dec. 28, Montgomery County Judge Thomas
P. Rogers ordered Corbin to
undergo psychiatric treatment at Norristown State
Hospital, declaring the defendant incompetent to
stand trial.
The definition of competency is the ability to understand the nature of the
charges and assist his attorney in the preparation of his
defense, Cooper said.

Not enough beds

for those needing
treatment
There arent enough beds
in the forensic wing of Norristown State Hospital to
accommodate those in the
criminal justice system that
need treatment in a psychiatric facility, many say. In
fact, even the Pennsylvania Department of Human
Services has acknowledged
this by settling a lawsuit
brought by the American
Civil Liberties Union on
behalf of those who have
had delays being admitted
to Norristown or Torrance
state hospitals.
Both Plaintiffs and Defendants desire to reduce
the delays in transferring
incompetent patients to
suitable treatment facilities,
which both Plaintiffs and
Defendants acknowledge is

Alyssa Shatz, vice president

of advocacy for the Mental
Health Association of
Southeastern Pennsylvania

GENE WALSH DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA

Troopers escort Kymere Corbin into District Court April 8,

2015.

With a long wait time for

competency, people end up
languishing in jail, which is not
good for anyone.
Alyssa Shatz, vice president of advocacy for the Mental Health
Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania

a problem that began years

ago, has increased recently,
and cannot be justified clinically or legally, the settlement states.
The settlement states
that average wait times are
at least 60 days for admission for both of the state
hospitals. David P. Gersch,
who served as co-counsel
to the ACLU on the lawsuit,
said the average wait time
as of mid-June is 221 days,
with Norristown State Hospital having a much longer
wait than Torrance.
Its illegal for one thing.
If youre not competent to
stand trial, they cant just
throw you in jail, Gersch
said. They can treat you,
they can drop the charges,
they can restore competency. Theyre not doing any
of those things; theyre just
throwing them in jail.
Dennis Marion, Deputy Secretary of the Office
of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services said
the increase in wait times
for Norristown is due to a
change in the Philadelphia
courts referral process.
The Court began referring
individuals admitted to

the psychiatric unit in the

GENE WALSH DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA
Philadelphia jail to NorrisKymere
Corbin
is
escorted
away
from district court after
town State Hospital, which
raised the base number for his arraignment in Upper Merion in connection to allegedly
shooting his father in a car on the Schuylkill Expressway in
the forensic waitlist.
April, 2015. Corbin has been declared incompetent to stand
Cost: Time and money trial because of mental illness but remains in Montgomery
Corbin has been wait- County Prison.
ing more than 190 days for
his transfer to Norristown sidered as credit toward an the delay is detrimental to
State Hospital.
eventual sentence, Cooper their mental health.
A Montgomery County said. For example, if Corbin
That is actually a diffispokeswoman said that is convicted of the charges cult question for me to anit costs $49.87 per day to against him, which include swer. Advocates would say
house someone in MCCF, attempted murder and ag- that it is, said Dr. Dale
meaning Corbins time in gravated assault, the time Adair, Chief Medical Officer
county jail since he was or- he is waiting for trans- at Norristown State Hospidered into placement at the fer would be taken off his tal. It really depends on the
hospital has cost the county prison sentence.
individual and what treatabout $9,500.
If a defendant is not con- ments they are receiving. BeCooper said a female cli- victed, however, it is likely cause someone is in jail does
ent of his who was recently time lost. And for those not mean he cannot receive
transferred to the hospital charged with minor crimes treatment.
waited two years for place- like retail theft, they spend
Alyssa Shatz, vice presment.
much more time in jail wait- ident of advocacy for the
The ACLU lawsuit, which ing for placement than they Mental Health Association
was filed in October of 2015, would with a standard sen- of Southeastern Pennsylvaargued that a wait time of tence. For first time offend- nia, said it is about more
more than seven days vi- ers, retail theft often carries than just the treatment.
olated the Due Process no jail time at all.
The reason that spending
Clause of the 14th Amendtime in jail for people with
ment, along with portions Loss of treatment
mental health conditions is
of the Americans with Dis- hurts
detrimental to their health,
abilities Act and the Rehais A) they are not getting the
bilitation Act.
While the defendants wait treatment they need, and B)
Wait times for that trans- in jail to be transferred for people with mental illness
fer would generally be con- treatment, it is not clear if are more likely to be abused,
more likely to experience violence, more likely to be further traumatized, she said.
With a long wait time for
competency, people end up
languishing in jail, which is
not good for anyone.
Cooper said Corbin is being held in the medium-max
security wing of Montgomery County Correction Facility. He is receiving medication, but does not have a
treatment team like those
who would work with him at
Norristown State Hospital.
A treatment team, Adair
said, is composed of psychiatrists, psychologists and
therapists, along with nurses
and social workers. Primary
care physicians would also

we can help fulll your

sectional fantasies
All our sectionals, sofas,
sofa sleepers, loveseats,
and chairs are at
very seductive prices.
A SPECIAL GIFT
JUST FOR YOU
$50 GIFT CARD
with this ad.
Gift Card must be
redeemed by 7.17.16

SAVE 33-50%
Whether youre into leather or fabric,
this sale is bound to please you.
This is the kind of sale
youve been fantasizing about.

PHILADELPHIA
315 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Phone: 215.922.2104

DOWNINGTOWN

216 East Lancaster Avenue

Downingtown, PA 19335
Phone: 610.269.2991

*One Gift Card per household. Not to be combined with any other Gift Card. Excludes prior sales, BDI, Ekornes, and Dane Sale Price items. See store for details.
code: MeR

be included if there were

any physical health problems. That team is assigned
to work with the defendant
until they are legally competent to stand trial.
Its hard to get to somebody being competent without providing treatment,
so they go hand in hand,
Adair said. The order may
not always state the treatment part, what youre hoping is that you are able to get
them to a better place as far
as their symptoms.

Long waits frustrating

to families
The long wait to get that
treatment, however, is a subject of frustration for many
involved in the case.
The clients going to get
worse and worse if hes not
treated, or could, he said.
Its against the public interest because it delays the
outcome of the case for interested parties such as witnesses, victims, the public,
police, the defendant, everybody. It takes up space in
the prison for someone waiting to be transported, so its
costing money, you know,
theres nothing good being
done by that.
Meanwhile, Corbin waits
in Montgomery County jail,
not for trial, but for treatment.
Hes in need of treatment
and hes entitled to it, Cooper said. We just have to get
it done.
As for Corbins family, they
are waiting to learn the fate
of their son. The father is still
recovering from the gunshot
wound suffered at the hands
of his son. The mother, who
Cooper has been in contact
with throughout the process,
is hoping for the best.
Theyve been very nice,
very patient, Cooper said.
Theyre frustrated. They
know Im trying, and theyre
just hoping that it can get
done, so their kid can get
help.
Note: This is part one of
a two-part report at defendants waiting to get a bed
in Norristown State Hospital. Part two will look at
what is being done to lessen
that wait.