Ohio lawmakers look to free up state psychiatric beds

Move is being done in part to assure there is room available for those threatening gun violence.

Credit: gorodenkoff

Credit: gorodenkoff

Ohio is taking steps to change how the 1,100 beds in the six state-owned psychiatric hospitals are filled — in part to assure there is room available for those threatening gun violence.

The Ohio Senate voted 30-1 in favor of Senate Bill 58, which is included in Gov. Mike DeWine’s 17-point plan to address gun violence.

Currently, a large portion of the high-security beds are occupied by people facing non-violent misdemeanor criminal charges who need to be restored to mental competency. The DeWine administration wants to give courts the ability to send non-violent defendants to step-down facilities for treatment when appropriate, leaving the secure beds for violent patients.

Related: DeWine wants more state psych beds open for violent people

State Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, started work on SB58 before the Aug. 4 mass shooting in Dayton but it fits with DeWine’s 17-point plan. Gavarone said a common complaint is that there aren’t enough secure psychiatric beds for those suffering from the most severe mental illnesses.

The bill calls for sending low-level misdemeanor offenders to other treatment programs. State Sen. Cecil Thomas, D-Cincinnati, said he opposes the legislation because it doesn’t outline what those other programs are.

Related: DeWine outlines plan to tackle gun violence

Related: A look at changes to Ohio's gun laws over the years

Major parts of DeWine’s plan — expanding the use of Ohio’s ‘pink slip’ process to force hospitalization of troubled people and creating a voluntary state-run background check for gun purchases — are being carried in a separate bill sponsored by state Sen. Matt Dolan, R-Chagrin Falls.

Related: 10 years after psych hospital closing: ‘It’s inhumane how they are being treated - it’s not right’

The bill now moves to the Ohio House for consideration.

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