Connecticut psych hospital is 'beyond the point of no return,' says state task force

A Connecticut state task force met publicly July 8 to discuss what they called "depressing" conditions at Whiting Forensic Hospital in Middletown, according to The Middletown Press.

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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