FYI - (Paper) State Laws on Law Enf Custody & Transp in the Process of Involuntary Civil Commitment

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brave@laaw.com
Mon, Feb 24, 2025 2:51 PM

Magnificent Monday!!!

You may find this new paper interesting:
Swartz, M. S., Moore, M., & Lazar, K. (2025). State Laws on Law Enforcement
Custody and Transportation in the Process of Involuntary Civil Commitment.
Psychiatric Services, appi-ps.

https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/appi.ps.20240345

Abstract

Objective: Involuntary civil commitment statutes codify the process of
involuntary admission to a health care facility. Many statutes assign law
enforcement to preside over custody and transportation during the commitment
process, which can be traumatizing to people taken into custody. States and
localities are seeking to develop alternative crisis response approaches
that reduce law enforcement involvement. This study aimed to document
variations in state laws pertaining to custody and transportation during
involuntary civil commitment.

Methods: The research team analyzed statutes (in effect as of March 1, 2024)
of 50 states and the District of Columbia governing custody and
transportation during involuntary civil commitment.

Results: Although every state and the District of Columbia had laws
pertaining to responsibility for custody and transportation during
involuntary civil commitment, laws varied on the entities that were allowed
to transport individuals being considered for involuntary civil commitment
and when non-law enforcement transport was permissible. Only seven states
barred non-law enforcement transportation under any circumstance: Alabama,
Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, and Wyoming. However, even in
the 44 jurisdictions where alternative transportation was permitted, law
enforcement often served as the default transporter because of a lack of
available alternatives.

Conclusions: Laws specifying responsibility for transport of people being
considered for involuntary civil commitment vary by state, and the statutory
opportunities to implement non-law enforcement transport are plentiful.
Research is needed to guide policy making and implementation regarding
involuntary civil commitment.

Have a fantastic week!
Mike

Michael Brave

(651) 248-2809

brave@laaw.com mailto:brave@laaw.com

Magnificent Monday!!! You may find this new paper interesting: Swartz, M. S., Moore, M., & Lazar, K. (2025). State Laws on Law Enforcement Custody and Transportation in the Process of Involuntary Civil Commitment. Psychiatric Services, appi-ps. https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/appi.ps.20240345 Abstract Objective: Involuntary civil commitment statutes codify the process of involuntary admission to a health care facility. Many statutes assign law enforcement to preside over custody and transportation during the commitment process, which can be traumatizing to people taken into custody. States and localities are seeking to develop alternative crisis response approaches that reduce law enforcement involvement. This study aimed to document variations in state laws pertaining to custody and transportation during involuntary civil commitment. Methods: The research team analyzed statutes (in effect as of March 1, 2024) of 50 states and the District of Columbia governing custody and transportation during involuntary civil commitment. Results: Although every state and the District of Columbia had laws pertaining to responsibility for custody and transportation during involuntary civil commitment, laws varied on the entities that were allowed to transport individuals being considered for involuntary civil commitment and when non-law enforcement transport was permissible. Only seven states barred non-law enforcement transportation under any circumstance: Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, and Wyoming. However, even in the 44 jurisdictions where alternative transportation was permitted, law enforcement often served as the default transporter because of a lack of available alternatives. Conclusions: Laws specifying responsibility for transport of people being considered for involuntary civil commitment vary by state, and the statutory opportunities to implement non-law enforcement transport are plentiful. Research is needed to guide policy making and implementation regarding involuntary civil commitment. Have a fantastic week! Mike Michael Brave (651) 248-2809 brave@laaw.com <mailto:brave@laaw.com>