In March 2023, a group of court-appointed guardians ad litems filed a lawsuit against the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, alleging that the agency violated the due process rights of pretrial defendants by failing to provide timely court-ordered competency restoration services. The lawsuit sought a settlement that would ensure timely and legally-mandated competency restoration for jail inmates.
However, Gov. Kevin Stitt and the state’s commissioner of mental health, Allie Friesen, have come out against the proposed settlement. They believe that this settlement is not in the best interest of Oklahoma or the patients of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Stitt and Friesen argue that the settlement is unnecessary, too costly, and would divert resources away from other mental health treatment programs.
Friesen, who was appointed in January, feels that she has not been given the chance to make changes that could improve the competency program. She respectfully asks the Attorney General to allow her and the department to do what is best for the people they serve. The Attorney General’s office announced the proposed settlement, stating that it would strengthen the justice system and allow for a more timely resolution of court cases.
However, Gov. Stitt expressed his opposition to the settlement, stating that he did not and will never agree to have Oklahomans pay for what he considers to be a bad legal settlement. In response to Stitt’s opposition, House Bill 2929 was signed on Friday by him which includes a $4.1 million appropriation that lawmakers intended to use to settle
