Members of the task force said the building is run down and suggested patients might be better served at a more modern facility. The building currently houses the state’s only maximum security psychiatric hospital.
“I think that particular facility is beyond the point of no return. I can’t imagine how you can retrofit that place,” said Michael P. Lawlor, the task force’s co-chairperson. It was the fourth meeting since Connecticut lawmakers formed the task force in response to an alleged incident of patient abuse in 2017.
Several Whiting patients are admitted through a court order so they can regain competency to stand trial, but inadequate bed space often leads to delayed patient care, said Lori Hauser, the task force’s other co-chair.
The task force will submit a report with recommendations to the state legislature by Jan. 1, 2021.
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