Panhandle Hospital Beds and Justice Gaps | Amarillo News

The final steel beam is up for Amarillo’s new Panhandle State Hospital, set to open late 2027 with 75 beds—50 dedicated to those deemed incompetent to stand trial. With waitlists swelling to nearly 1,700 and some facing waits of over a year, the crisis forces defendants into jail instead of treatment, worsening mental health and delaying justice. A federal judge demands 21-day wait times by 2028, but the state is appealing. Pandemic fallout has worsened staffing shortages, tripling the backlog. Meanwhile, new hospital construction and jail-based competency programs offer hope to bridge the gap between justice and care. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/3a5832de671cc1fd