Biden's prisons chief tasked with reforming California's mental health

A federal judge has appointed Colette Peters, the former director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, to address the mental health care crisis in California prisons. This decision comes after many years of poor reports and increasing suicide rates among inmates. U.S. District Senior Judge Kimberly Mueller aims to bring about significant changes to the state’s mental health system for prisoners, which has been criticized since 1995 for being inadequate. Peters has accepted a temporary four-month role to develop a plan for mental health services in the prison system. Her appointment follows frustration over California's handling of inmate mental health, with lawyers emphasizing the urgent need for effective care. More than 34,000 prisoners have serious mental health issues, yet the state has struggled with staffing and resources. California’s officials acknowledged Peters as an acceptable choice but expressed concerns about losing control of its prison mental health care. The state is currently involved in a long-standing lawsuit regarding inadequate psychiatric services, which has been ongoing since 1990, initiated by inmate Ralph Coleman. Court findings have indicated that the prison system has failed to provide sufficient mental health staff, resulting in tragic consequences for inmates. Judge Mueller's efforts come after the Ninth Circuit Court upheld findings against California for its failures in hiring mental health staff. Many inmates have been found to not receive proper care, such as those who had not seen a mental health professional for extended periods. In previous years, court-appointed masters reported a severe staffing emergency, with inadequate care being a persistent issue. The appointment of a federal receiver is seen as a significant move towards improving mental health care for inmates. The state previously faced scrutiny for its inability to meet constitutional requirements in areas such as suicide prevention and access to mental health services. As conditions in California prisons are reassessed, the focus on enhancing mental health care aims to prevent further tragedies among inmates.