During the 2022 legislative session, the Legislature established what’s called a competency attainment board and a program of forensic navigators. The program, which aims to connect people found mentally incompetent to stand trial with services, has now been in effect for a year. 

The board was created following a KARE 11 investigation that revealed thousands of people charged with a crime were found mentally incompetent to stand trial but did not receive mental health treatment. Many of these people would go on to commit more violent crimes. 

Ryan Flynn, the chair of the Competency Attainment Board, and Kim Larson, who oversees the forensic navigator program, joined Minnesota Now to talk about what they’ve learned in the first year of the program.