The Tennessee Legislature passed a new law this year in memory of slain Belmont University student Jillian Ludwig.
Ludwig was 18 years old at the time when he was fatally shot in the head by a stray bullet during an afternoon stroll in a park near the Belmont University campus in November.
Police said the shot was fired by Shaquille Taylor, who had previously been found incompetent to stand trial for another violent crime but did not meet the criteria for involuntary hospitalization.
Her tragic case has spurred lawmakers to act: A new law that goes into effect July 1 will bar defendants who are deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial from legally purchasing or possessing guns.
But the law also requires defendants to be committed to mental health treatment facilities, raising questions about whether states are prepared to care for defendants who are mentally incompetent to stand trial.
Already, the Davidson County Jail is seeing a steady stream of defendants with similar histories to Taylor’s. So how are local officials trying to address the problem? What role might a new state law play? Investigative reporter Kelly Puente takes a deeper look at the issue this week.
I asked her a few questions about her time in Nashville and how she covered the case.
Kelly, thanks for answering a few questions. Tell us a little bit about yourself and what brought you to The Tennessean..
I started my career as a newspaper intern in Long Beach, California in 2006, and it’s hard to believe I’ve been in journalism for almost 20 years now. Over the years, I’ve covered almost every area, from education to crime to court cases. I’ve spent most of my life in Southern California, so when I was offered a job as an investigative reporter in Nashville last year, I jumped at the chance for a big change. I love investigative journalism because it gives me the opportunity to write stories that can inspire change and really make a difference in people’s lives. But it can also be one of the most difficult jobs because it requires patience, detail, and a willingness to dig deep.
When did you first find out about this revolving door at your local jail?
While this is a major issue nationwide, I first became aware of its impact in Nashville with the shooting of Belmont University student Jillian Ludwig and the recent case of Carl Hamilton, whose case was particularly shocking to me as he allegedly raped an Amazon delivery person the day after he was released from custody. We felt our readers would deserve a detailed read that highlights these flaws in our criminal justice system and explains how this happens.
What are the major challenges in providing mental health treatment?
One of the biggest challenges is staffing psychiatric beds. For example, the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, which provides beds for developmentally disabled and intellectually disabled patients, is licensed for eight beds but currently only four are staffed, which is four beds for the entire state. This is similar to the staffing shortages faced by nursing homes, prisons, and other facilities. It is difficult to find people willing to take on these challenging jobs at relatively low wages.
What role will new state laws play? Is there new funding to help?
The new state law is expected to increase the number of people receiving treatment for mental illness, but implementing it will be a challenge, as many counties still do not have programs in place to evaluate and treat mentally ill people in the criminal justice system. The governor’s budget allocates about $5.4 million to implement two laws that require mental health evaluations and treatment for low-level offenders and automatically detain those deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial. Mental health advocates worry there won’t be enough funding to handle the influx of people needing treatment.
Finally, when you’re not reporting, what do you like to do in your free time? What’s on your playlist? This is Music City, after all.
I’m still new to Nashville, so I spend my free time exploring the city and listening to live music. On the weekends, I love hiking at Percy Warner and biking in Shelby Bottoms. What’s on my playlist: I was never a big fan of country music, but now I’m a big fan of it. I’m a big fan of local artists like Margo Price and Jason Isbell. I saw Sierra Ferrell at the Ryman a few months ago and it was amazing.
This article originally appeared in the Nashville Tennessean. Why The Tennessean covers mental health and the criminal justice system
