A federal judge on Monday said she plans to appoint an investigator to launch a probe into whether California has painted an inaccurately rosy picture of psychiatric care inside its prison system as part of a lawsuit against the state that has spanned nearly three decades.
U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller’s move comes on the heels of a 161-page report written by the chief psychiatrist for the prison system alleging the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has concealed issues surrounding the adequacy of mental health care and staffing in prisons from officials who could mandate changes.
“This group has created a biased and inaccurately positive picture of what is actually a troubled system of care,” Dr. Michael Golding wrote.
Golding’s report, based on his visits to various state prisons, was filed in federal court as part of a lawsuit against the state that began in 1990 which asserts that psychiatric care in prison is a constitutional right.
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