Sen. Creigh Deeds
A person in a mental health crisis may be kept in custody for evaluation for up to 24 hours under legislation that has cleared the Virginia Senate. The new, 24-hour limit passed over the objections of some in the law enforcement community, who worried that such a lengthy period may divert deputy sheriffs who are detaining the patient from other public safety priorities. But as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, the bill passed unanimously after an impassioned plea from the Senator who was most recently impacted by flaws in the state’s mental health system.
Virginia Public Radio 