NY Mentally Ill Inmates Get Class Certified on Release Schedule

Mentally ill inmates in New York State were certified to proceed as a class in alleging the state needs to develop more community-based mental health housing programs, according to a federal court’s July 3 order.

The class alleges that New York State has an obligation to provide those services, but instead keeps inmates in prison beyond their lawful release dates. The inmates also sought a subclass of those transferred to a “Residential Treatment Facility,” which the plaintiffs allege is still prison, according to the memorandum in support of their motion for certification.The plantiffs were granted class certification in part ...