[marcav]

Here's an interesting article about the dark side of Waterbury (warning: long) . . .

Signs of the Times News for Tue, 02 Dec 2008

[harry chickpea]

Well, I worked there during some of that time. Lois Sabin was a supervisor and a well-liked straight shooter, and I'd trust his judgment.

The women were primarily on the north side, and I worked the south, but the comment about patients in isolation being allowed out to use the restrooms is sort of correct. Generally, isolation was only used with the most disruptive patients, or for some legal reason (there was at least one criminally insane murderer), primarily to keep a general peace and safety on the wards for the other patients.

Some patients did pace. Part was medication, part was the disease. And sometimes, one or more patients would act out and it seemed like bedlam for a little while. Such was the nature of the place and people.

My gut feeling is that there were a number of paranoid and psychotic people that were residents, and I would be surprised if there wasn't a case or two of them thinking the doctors and government were out to get them.

There was a very good book on the hospital "Empty Beds", now out of print, that detailed how Chittick and Hyde were pioneers in using drugs, art therapy and group homes to reduce the population. Had there not been some experimentation, there would still be a lot of people locked up instead of living quiet lives on their own or in groups. If anything, I'd say there was a conservative approach, where most issues were addressed with thorazine, mellaril, lithium, or dilantin and observation, then enrollment in one or more of the therapy groups, and increasing time off-campus or movement to a group home or out.