Augusta will soon be home to a new facility designed to take the pressure off local jails.  

Thursday, local and state leaders celebrated the start of what they say is a much needed hospital with a groundbreaking ceremony.

The new space will house up to 40 people who have been accused of a crime– but declared not competent to stand trial.

“We have state hospitals that have forensic beds that have been doing this work for a long time. But the need is greater than what our beds currently can accommodate,” said Dr. Madhu Gundlapalli, the CMO of the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

Read more at WJBF.