A Jackson County woman has been waiting in jail for more than a year for a bed at a state mental health facility after being deemed unfit to stand trial. The case illustrates a broader crisis in mental health care access within the criminal justice system.
The Incident and Legal Outcome
Ivey Williams has been in the Jackson County jail since attacking a police officer in February 2025. Her daughter, Amanda Roberts, said Williams has been battling mental health issues for decades, with issues reaching a breaking point in 2024. Williams was released from inpatient care that year against Roberts’ wishes as her mother’s power of attorney. In October, Williams called the police on herself for a mental health evaluation, but when the officer arrived, she panicked and fought back. Court documents state she attacked the officer with a broomstick, then turned an aerosol can and lighter on him. Within months, Williams was deemed unfit to stand trial and placed on a waiting list for a state mental health facility in February 2025.
Systemic Waiting Lists
Jackson County Sheriff Rocky Harnen said many inmates are waiting for mental health beds. “Without mentioning names, I have one that’s in there for murder, but he’s been waiting for almost three years in jail,” Harnen said. The long waits are common across the system.
Concerns About Prolonged Untreated Psychosis
Roberts said she is not asking for her mother’s crimes to be forgiven but for her mother’s mental health to be treated. “The longer a person in psychosis goes untreated, it can cause brain damage, making it harder to get them back once they are receiving the treatment that they need,” she explained. Harnen said the only solution is more funding. “I think if the state had money to build more mental health facilities, then we could certainly fill them up quickly,” he said.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.waff.com/2026/05/04/jackson-county-woman-waits-over-year-jail-mental-health-treatment/