ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The Orange County Jail has quietly become one of the largest mental health providers in Central Florida—highlighting a growing crisis inside the state’s criminal justice system.
Roughly one in five inmates in Florida jails is being treated for mental illness. And when some defendants are ruled incompetent to stand trial or found not guilty by reason of insanity, the law often requires treatment rather than incarceration. But with limited space in state-run mental health facilities, some are ultimately released back into the community under supervision.
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A review of court records reveals how that system is playing out in real cases. One of the most troubling examples is the case of Ahmad Bojeh. In 2021, Bojeh was accused of randomly shooting at people outside a Wawa convenience store. He was later found not guilty by reason of insanity and released with conditions for treatment and monitoring.
Five years later, investigators say Bojeh is now accused of killing three tourists at a short-term rental near his parents’ home in Kissimmee. According to investigators, he admitted he had stopped taking his prescribed medication.
Cases like Bojeh’s raise difficult questions about how decisions are made when mentally ill defendants are released. Retired Chief Judge Belvin Perry—known for presiding over the Casey Anthony trial—says judges rely heavily on expert evaluations when determining whether someone poses a danger to themselves or others.
“If they present a danger… the court keeps them in confinement,” Perry said. “If they are not, then the court must determine whether there is a less restrictive alternative.”
In other words, if medical experts determine a defendant is not a current threat, courts are often legally required to consider releasing them into the community with treatment conditions.
But critics say the system is under strain.
Public Defender Melissa Vickers points to a statewide shortage of forensic mental health beds as a key issue. Under Florida law, the Department of Children and Families is supposed to place certain defendants in a state hospital within 15 days. In reality, Vickers says wait times can stretch much longer.
“What we’re seeing is longer and longer wait times,” Vickers said. “It could be four to five months that people are staying in jail.”
Data from the Florida Department of Children and Families shows forensic mental health facilities are operating at about 98% capacity, with waitlists growing by roughly 6% each year.
That pressure can create difficult trade-offs. According to Perry, when beds are limited, patients who show improvement may be released sooner than expected to make room for others in need of treatment.
“And so this is what happens,” Perry said. “If somebody reaches a certain level of treatment, then they’re rushed out… to make room for someone else.”
A deeper look at court records shows people who have been released with mental health issues..
In 2016, investigators say Shantelle Bennett shot another woman in the chest. She was later declared incompetent to stand trial and released for treatment in the community.
In another case, Jorge Diaz-Vega, a former Disney employee accused of secretly recording a 14-year-old girl at work, was also ruled incompetent and released. His case involved non-violent charges but still highlights how defendants can be diverted out of the traditional court system due to mental health findings.
Taken together, these cases point to a system balancing legal standards, medical opinions, and limited resources—often under intense pressure.
Perry offered a blunt assessment: “The whole system is built on a house of cards… and the only time something gets corrected is when there’s a tragedy.”
With demand for mental health services continuing to rise, and capacity struggling to keep up, the question facing Florida’s courts is becoming more urgent: how to protect both public safety and the rights of defendants in a system stretched to its limits.