Trends in Costs of Court-Ordered Mental Health Evaluations in Virginia (2015-2024)

• In Event: Poster Session 2

Abstract

This study investigates trends in costs associated with mental health-related evaluations for court cases, specifically focusing on insanity defense evaluations and competency evaluations, from 2015 to 2024 in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Previous research has documented widespread increases in the demand for competency evaluations and restoration throughout the United States. While considerable attention has been given to the challenges individuals encounter at the intersection of criminal-legal and mental health state systems, less is known about the system-level financial burdens stemming from increasing demand. This study utilizes data on reimbursement costs of mental health-related evaluations paid by the Virginia Supreme Court to analyze the economic impact of evaluations on Virginia’s judicial system over the time for which data is available. Additionally, this study explores the influence of state and local behavioral health policy changes on the demand for mental health-related evaluations. By identifying patterns and variations in the costs over both time and geography, these findings are expected to highlight the growing financial strain posed by these evaluations and underscore the need for policy reforms to address the economic sustainability of mental health assessments in legal contexts.

Authors

• Brandon Morrissey, North Carolina State University

• Sarah L. Desmarais, Policy Research Associates

• Richard Van Dorn, Policy Research Associates