Grand Mound: Department Would Open One Cottage and 30 Beds to Treat Mentally Ill Offenders

July 30--About 35 people came to a public meeting in the auditorium of Maple Lane School on Wednesday night to hear the state's pitch for temporarily reopening the facility.

Representatives from the Washington Department of Health and Social Services and other agencies gave small talks at about five different stations around the room to explain to the audience in small groups what prompted DSHS to expand its services and how Maple Lane fits into that picture. The meeting was just one step in a lengthy permitting process toward repurposing the facility.

In short, the department doesn't have enough space to house people who have been accused of committing a crime but aren't competent enough to stand trial. Maple Lane is one of the facilities DSHS is considering for reopening as a way to address the issue.

Department officials say there is a shortage of about 120 forensic beds around the state, Maple Lane would make room for 30 of those in one of the several cottages on the campus. It is high on the list of facilities being considered for reopening because of its good condition, and proximity to Interstate 5 and the state's largest mental hospital, Western State Hospital in Lakewood.

The move comes in wake of the Trueblood v. Washington State Department of Social and Health Services verdict, a civil rights lawsuit filed on behalf of mentally ill inmates who were being warehoused in county jails while waiting to be moved to the state's mental hospital. Earlier this year, U.S. District Court Judge Marsha Pechman ruled that inmates must be moved from county jails within seven days of a judge's order. As part of the response, the Legislature allocated up to $600,000 to the Department of Social andHealth Services to spend on renovations at the facility for temporary forensic beds.

Part of a person's constitutional rights is the right to understand the charges that are brought against them. The forensic beds are in place to house people while their mental health needs are met to the point where they can understand court proceedings and assist their attorney in representing their case. The process can take anywhere from three weeks to six months.

Currently the state has forensic beds in two facilities around the state. Eastern State Hospital has 287 inpatient psychiatric beds 20 miles west of Spokane. Western State Hospital has about 700 psychiatric beds.

DSHS also investigated Rainier School in Buckley, Fircrest School in Shoreline, Lakeland Village near Spokane and other possible locations for mental health services, but Maple Lane was the best fit. A large percentage of the people at the event were employees of mental health providers or other state agencies with a vested interest in the move to reopen Maple Lane.

Lewis County Commissioner Edna Fund was among the visitors. She said she supports reopening the facility because of the jobs it could bring to the area. She said officials told her it would bring about 25.

Erin Mulka, a Rochester resident who lives near the facility, said she also supports reopening the school.

"I thinks it's an excellent opportunity for all parties involved," she said. "The presentation was encouraging. It seems like they thought about their options."

Although the department believes Maple Lane is the best option, nothing is set in stone. Currently they're about halfway through a 90-day comment period required as part of the special use permit application process before Maple Lane can be opened to adult inmates.

If approved, Maple Lane will likely be used by DSHS for 2 to 5 years. The Department of Corrections is also looking into doing a renovation on the school later on and turn it into a 700-bed adult correctional facility for inmates with mental health issues.

In the operating budget, the Legislature directed the DOC to review the policies that determine custody levels and evaluate the options, cost and timing of any proposal to build a new prison. The DOC is required to report its findings and recommendation to the Legislature by Dec. 1

The school previously housed juvenile offenders, but it was closed in 2011 as part of a sweeping round of statewide budget cuts made by the state Legislature. Before closing, it employed about 260 people and housed around 200 juvenile offenders with mental illnesses or addictions.

The public can also offer their comments on the Department of Health and Human Services to MapleLaneComments@dshs.wa.gov. Additional information is available at http://goo.gl/ODXAmy.

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