Involuntary civil commitment statutes codify the process of involuntary admission to a health care facility. Many statutes assign law enforcement to preside over custody and transportation during the commitment process, which can be traumatizing to people taken into custody. States and localities are seeking to develop alternative crisis response approaches that reduce law enforcement involvement. This study aimed to document variations in state laws pertaining to custody and transportation during involuntary civil commitment.
By Marvin S. Swartz, M.D., Megan Moore, J.D., Katie Lazar, B.A. in Psychiatric Services