Hundreds of defendants across Washington are in a legal limbo, writes Esmy Jimenez (@esmyjimenez) for the Seattle Times, as they wait for a psychiatric bed to open in a state hospital. Despite a federal court settlement, the state still struggles to get defendants into care in a timely manner, and many are waiting months in jails. Jimenez anchors her story with the experience of one local man, and she explores the complex intersection of mental health and criminal justice — and a problem that only seems to be getting worse. Photo by Michael Coghlan via Wikimedia Commons
