Whiting Forensic Hospital

Bill Could Bring Changes to Agency Overseeing Certain Psychiatric Commitments

NBC Universal, Inc.

There is support and criticism for a bill this legislative session that would bring changes to how our state oversees people in Connecticut found not guilty by reason of insanity.

This involves Connecticut’s Psychiatric Security Review Board, which has been in existence since 1985.

For years, NBC Connecticut Investigates has broken stories about Whiting Forensic Hospital, one of the facilities where patients in the custody of the PSRB are kept.

There are just a handful of bodies like the PSRB in other states.

Senate bill 926 would take the Connecticut Psychiatric Security Review Board and the criminal courts out of the process of extending patients commitment once they reach their discharge date.

Advocates for patients, and patients themselves welcome the proposal, saying many of them remain under the PSRB supervision for decades.

Patient Vincent Ardizzone testified, “I know people under the board that had a sentence of five years, and they did 30 years to life here.”

The PSRB testified removing its supervision when a patient is recommitted could hinder patient access to housing, treatment services and drug and alcohol monitoring, if they re-enter society.

Other critics add the patient’s victims and their relatives won’t be notified if the patient is discharged or given temporary leave from a psychiatric facility.

There is a task force holding regular meetings at the capitol - part of its directive is to determine if the state even needs the PSRB anymore.

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