A Kidder Township woman who admitted setting fire to her house endangering others was finally sentenced on Friday in Carbon County court for the incident that occurred over two years ago.

Edith G. Keen, 44, previously pleaded guilty, but mentally ill, to one count of arson, for an incident on Feb. 9, 2018. She also pleaded to one count of simple assault, but mentally ill, for an incident on Feb. 12, 2017.

The long delay in her sentencing was due to the failure of the state’s mental health system, attorney Matthew J. Mottola of the public defender’s office said.

Because of the state of the system in Pennsylvania, Keen was held in the county prison for 841 days while her attorney and the prosecution attempted to find a facility to take her.

Mottola said one of the problems is the lack of mental health facilities across the state. He said because of the small number of hospitals or programs available, the wait time to get a bed to be admitted to the facility is extended for longer periods of time.

He said, “the answer the state came up with to treat mental health is incarceration.”

Judge Joseph J. Matika agreed with Mottola, adding that the state mental health system is inadequate. He praised Mottola’s efforts over the months in trying to find a facility to take Keen. Of Keen’s situation, Matika said, “It’s a failure of the mental health system in this commonwealth.”

Mottola said the day of the incident Keen had been off her medication for several days. He said when she is on her meds she can live a normal life, but must be supervised.

He said he had arranged with a mental health agency to monitor her for at least the next six months.

He also said her ex-husband has graciously agreed to let her return to his home and be with her two children they had together.

Mottola said Keen’s mental health has improved greatly since her arrest and continues to be good, because she is taking her medication and receiving counseling at the prison.

Keen told Matika she understood what was happening and thanked the court for helping her with her many problems.

Case history

In the Feb. 9 incident, Kidder Township police charged her with eight felonies and three misdemeanors related to a fire that took place at her home on Tanglewood Road, Holiday Pocono Development.

On that date township police received a report of a possible mental health issue on Tanglewood Road. While investigating the report, police received a dispatch for a dwelling fire at that address. When officers arrived, they were met by Keen. She was the subject of the mental health investigation and was taken into custody.

Officers witnessed a large amount of smoke coming from the residence. Two officers then grabbed fire extinguishers from their patrol cars and entered the residence. They believed that Keen’s daughter might still be inside the residence.

Upon entering the residence, officers encountered heavy smoke and fire. They were able to extinguish the fire and look for the juvenile. They were advised from an officer outside that the juvenile went to a neighbor’s house.

Officers determined through an investigation that Keen deliberately set fires in the residence over the past couple days with her children inside.

She was taken to Lehighton hospital for evaluation. In the first incident leading to the simple assault plea, she had been placed in the county’s Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition probation program. She was revoked from it when the second incident occurred. In that incident she was arrested by police who responded to a report of an intoxicated woman causing a disturbance.

Before Friday’s sentencing, Keen withdrew her plea to the assault count and entered a guilty plea to one count of recklessly endangering another person. Mottola said the change was due to immigration problems Keen is facing.

On the arson count, Matika sentenced her within the state sentencing guidelines for the charge of six to 12 months in prison with credit for 365 days already served and paroled her. On the recklessly endangering count she was sentenced to serve four days to 11 months consecutive to the arson charge with credit for four days already served. She must also pay court costs of about $1,000.

Matika said before Keen is released from the county prison, a pre-parole plan must be submitted to the adult probation office for its approval.