TPM is Co-Counsel in a Suit to Compel Prompt Treatment for People in Florida Found Incompetent to Stand Trial

On September 16, 2026, alongside our partners at Southern Poverty Law Center and Florida Justice Institute, we filed a lawsuit on behalf of Disability Rights Florida against Florida’s Department of Children and Families (DCF). The lawsuit alleges that DCF is violating the due process rights of people deemed incompetent to stand trial by holding them in jail, rather than transferring them to receive treatment.

In Florida, people deemed incompetent to stand trial are required to be transferred to a mental health treatment facility within a maximum of 15 days. Instead, DCF has allowed these individuals to languish in jails for months, where they receive no treatment and their condition often further deteriorates, leading to serious harm.

People with mental health disabilities deserve timely treatment, not incarceration. We are looking forward to working with our partners on this important case.

The amended complaint is here.