Lawmakers confront ‘crisis’ of mental health backlog in Missouri jails

Missouri's mental health jail backlog is worsening. Over 500 people are currently waiting for court-ordered mental health services that would allow their criminal cases to move forward. Three years ago, the waitlist numbered around 200. Many have not been convicted of a crime but still languish in jails for months or even years. Missouri Independent Reporter Steph Quinn shares her insights from her reporting and a recent legislative hearing on the “crisis” of Missouri’s mental health backlog. Annie Legomsky, director of client advocacy for the Missouri public defender’s office, takes us behind the scenes of the ongoing struggle to address the mental health backlog.