In two separate bills, legislators are honing in on problems highlighted by the Austin American-Statesman in the 16 months since a former Austin State Hospital psychiatrist was accused of sexually abusing his patients, including the lack of long-term tracking of abuse and neglect allegations and the inability to place doctors who commit serious abuse on a public registry.

Lax oversight and biased investigations by Texas state officials have placed vulnerable patients in state psychiatric hospitals at risk for abuse and neglect for two decades, according to a sharply critical investigative report released Monday.

While there were a few areas of improvements since the last DOJ report, the facility still has not reached compliance in 134 out of 171 areas. Supervising attorney Beth Mitchell with the Disability Rights of Texas advocacy group says lack of progress over the years is simply unacceptable.

Disability Rights Texas Supervising Attorney Dustin Rynders and EWJ Fellow Christine Nishimura are featured in the January 2013 edition of Texas Bar Journal. Check out the article at the link below. To view the full edition, visit www.texasbar.com and click on News and Publications.

Date / Time: April and May 2013
Location: various locations in Houston, Texas

Date / Time: Friday, August 2 - Sunday, August 4, 2013
Location: Reliant Center - Houston, Texas

Date / Time: see below for specific dates and times
Location: see below for specific locations for each meeting

Date / Time:
Location: Various Locations -- Check List Below