Oklahoma Fails To Meet Consent Decree Requirements On Timely Competency Restoration

The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) has failed to meet key requirements in a consent decree aimed at improving access to competency restoration services for individuals with serious mental illness, according to a February 2026 court ruling.

The consent decree stems from a 2023 lawsuit (Briggs v. Slavonic) alleging that delays in competency restoration services were unconstitutional and violated defendants’ rights.

Under the decree, the state was required to reduce wait times for competency restoration to three weeks. However, median wait times remain significantly higher at approximately three months.

Before a defendant found incompetent to . . .