Mental Competency Cases In LA County Surged Nearly 50 Percent Last Year
Officials do not know what is driving the increase. Defense attorneys who believe their clients are too mentally ill to stand trial can request a competency hearing. In other public health news, media outlets report on the benefit of HIV testing at California prisons and the lack of heart disease awareness among women.
The Los Angeles Times:
No One Knows What's Behind L.A. County's Rise In Mental Competency Cases
Competency cases increased by nearly 50% from 2014 to last year. Between 2010 and 2015, the annual total ballooned from 944 to 3,528. L.A. County Superior Court does not compile detailed data on what types of criminal cases wind up in mental health court. Attorneys, judges, doctors and law enforcement officials say they can only guess why the caseload is growing. (Sewell, 2/28)
The Desert Sun:
California Prisons See Benefit In Routine HIV Testing
In 2010, California began offering routine HIV testing to incoming prison inmates. The result, according to a new study by state health officials, is a high rate of inmates getting the care they need to get the virus under control. But once released, many inmates struggled to stay on top of their drug treatment. (Newkirk, 2/26)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Top Killer Of Women Often Unrecognized
Just as heart attacks and related conditions are the leading cause of death among American men, heart disease tops the list for women. But much of the publicity surrounding this disease focuses on men. Women are left out of the picture, and the results are often deadly. UC San Diego recently re-interviewed an apparently healthy and active young mother the health system treated years ago for a heart attack. and shared the lessons learned. (Fikes, 2/28)