Southbury Training School
Encyclopedia
Southbury Training School is a large residential facility in the towns of Southbury
and Roxbury
, Connecticut
. It was built in the 1930s as a large state funded and operated residential and habilitative facility for adults with mental retardation
. It consists of 125 buildings situated on a campus of 1600 acres (6.5 km²). It independently operates its own power, heat, sewage treatment, water, laundry, fire, ambulance, public safety, building maintenance, transportation and dietary services. It is run by the Connecticut Department of Mental Retardation. The facility is listed as historic district
on the National Register of Historic Places
.
In 1986, admissions to STS were closed. There was a current population of 1,111. The Department of Mental Retardation was directed to attempt to place residents in group homes and other such settings.
The facility was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1992.
In 1997, STS was prohibited from accepting any new residents. STS had 782 residents remaining.
As of 2000, STS maintained a staff of 1,700 people. STS had 696 residents remaining.
As of 2001, STS had 639 residents remaining. The average age was 55, and the average resident had been at STS for 43 years. The State intends to continue decreasing the number of residents through placement in other settings and through the death of residents.
In 1996, the United States District Court for the District of New Haven held the State in contempt of the consent decree.
In 1997, an order was issued and a special master appointed to oversee the School.
In 2005, Governor Rell requested the removal of David Ferleger as special master, also using the opportunity to request the removal of special masters as a whole.
Without granting the state a hearing, the federal court rejected the state’s request to end Mr. Ferleger’s work for the court as special master. “As a federally appointed "special master," Ferleger is responsible for making sure Connecticut complies with a 10-year- old U.S. Department of Justice order to improve conditions at the facility for the mentally retarded. In her ruling, Burns said that the state "pointed to nothing" in Ferleger's execution of his duties over the past eight years to suggest they were deficient. Hartford Courant, “Ruling Keeps Monitor on Job: State Loses Bid to Remove Training School ‘Special Master’” Colin Poitras, December 15, 2005
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-139822928/ruling-keeps-monitor-job.html https://secure.pqarchiver.com/courant/access/942196781.html?dids=942196781:942196781&FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Dec+15%2C+2005&author=COLIN+POITRAS%3BCourant+Staff+Writer&pub=Hartford+Courant&edition=&startpage=B.1&desc=RULING+KEEPS+MONITOR+ON+JOB+%3B+STATE+LOSES+IN+BID+TO+REMOVE+TRAINING+SCHOOL+%60SPECIAL+MASTER%27
The state unsuccessfully contested most of the special master’s reports. As one historical summary of the case puts it, “the court ultimately accepted all of the reports.” Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse. http://www.clearinghouse.net/detail.php?id=442
“Between July 30, 1997, and February 22, 2006, the Special Master submitted twenty-six status reports, sixty-three topic-specific reports, and numerous other reports, recommendations, and analyses. Based on the docket, it appears that the Special Master addressed (1) individualized planning, (2) community placement policies, (3) abuse and neglect, (4) the rights of persons with disabilities, (5) human rights and behavioral programming reviews, (6) occupational and physical therapy, (7) medical and dental care, (8) dosage benchmarks, (9) physical restraint techniques and standards, (10) mortality investigations, (11) case management and advocacy, (12) quality assurance plans, (13) facility upkeep, safety, and sanitation, (14) transportation, (15) employment of direct care staff, medical professionals, and specialized therapists, and (16) staff development. The defendants contested most of the Special Masterís reports, but the court ultimately accepted all of the reports. For instance, on February 22, 2004, the court accepted and adopted the Special Masterís report on Southburyís development of mortality review procedures.” Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse. http://www.clearinghouse.net/detail.php?id=442
In the court’s “Order Purging Defendants of Contempt and Ending Active Judicial Oversight,” (March 2006), the court expressed “the gratitude of the Court for his service.” (p. 3), and stated, “Special Master David Ferleger has effectively rendered a great public service in shepherding this process through to its conclusion. He has submitted to the Court twenty-six periodic status reports, sixty-three numbered topic-specific reports, many special reports and recommendations to the parties, and numerous other analyses.” (p. 11). The court concluded that the remedial process had resulted in substantial positive change at Southbury Training School: “The contempt finding has resulted in the reform of Southbury Training School mandated in the Remedial Plan and its associated plans and orders. The remedial process has done much to advance the interests of the residents of Southbury Training School. Ten years ago, this Court found systemic flaws at STS which placed residents at risk of great harm, even death. Today, residents of STS are safer and benefit from a state-of-the- art model of institutional care as Defendants have met the “adequate care” requirements in the Remedial Plan and, in many instances, gone beyond the court-mandated requirements to provide ‘best practices.’” (p. 12). Court Ruling, March 2006, United States v. State of Connecticut. http://www.websupp.org/data/DCT/318374-DCT.pdf http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:_kHxdseVZV0J:www.websupp.org/data/DCT/318374-DCT.pdf+ellen+bree+burns+ferleger&hl=en&gl=us&sig=AHIEtbTPOGcZKTUh1WR9Ngf35pbGnNfZ9Q IN 2006, STS was released from judicial oversight.
On June 4, 2008, in another lawsuit about Southbury Training School called Messier v. Southbury Training School, the federal court relied on the findings of Special Master Ferleger to find that most of the challenged inadequcies has been remedied under his evaluation process. “In a process of evaluation lasting almost a decade, the Special Master, with the assistance of experts commissioned by him and the parties, measured improvements at STS against the standards set forth in the Court Requirements. Periodically, when the Special Master concluded that the defendants had demonstrated compliance with a particular Court Requirement, he recommended that the court release STS from oversight for that Court Requirement.” Court Ruling, June 4, 2008, Messier v. Southbury Training School.
http://ct.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.%5CFDCT%5CDCT%5C2008%5C20080604_0000222.DCT.htm/qx
Southbury, Connecticut
Southbury is a town located in western New Haven County, Connecticut, USA. Southbury is located north of Oxford and Newtown; it also is east of Brookfield. Southbury's population was 18,567 at the 2000 census....
and Roxbury
Roxbury, Connecticut
Roxbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,136 at the 2000 census.-History:Roxbury, whose Indian name was "Shepaug", a Mahican name signifiying "rocky water", was settled about the year 1713...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. It was built in the 1930s as a large state funded and operated residential and habilitative facility for adults with mental retardation
Mental retardation
Mental retardation is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors...
. It consists of 125 buildings situated on a campus of 1600 acres (6.5 km²). It independently operates its own power, heat, sewage treatment, water, laundry, fire, ambulance, public safety, building maintenance, transportation and dietary services. It is run by the Connecticut Department of Mental Retardation. The facility is listed as historic district
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
Southbury Training School was built in the 1930s as a place to house the mentally retarded. It is and was self sufficient from the town of Southbury.In 1986, admissions to STS were closed. There was a current population of 1,111. The Department of Mental Retardation was directed to attempt to place residents in group homes and other such settings.
The facility was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1992.
In 1997, STS was prohibited from accepting any new residents. STS had 782 residents remaining.
As of 2000, STS maintained a staff of 1,700 people. STS had 696 residents remaining.
As of 2001, STS had 639 residents remaining. The average age was 55, and the average resident had been at STS for 43 years. The State intends to continue decreasing the number of residents through placement in other settings and through the death of residents.
Conditions
In 1984, the first major lawsuit regarding the conditions at STS was filed by the United States of America against the State of Connecticut. A consent decree settled the suit in 1986, requiring that the State increase the conditions of both the care and the facilities.In 1996, the United States District Court for the District of New Haven held the State in contempt of the consent decree.
In 1997, an order was issued and a special master appointed to oversee the School.
In 2005, Governor Rell requested the removal of David Ferleger as special master, also using the opportunity to request the removal of special masters as a whole.
Without granting the state a hearing, the federal court rejected the state’s request to end Mr. Ferleger’s work for the court as special master. “As a federally appointed "special master," Ferleger is responsible for making sure Connecticut complies with a 10-year- old U.S. Department of Justice order to improve conditions at the facility for the mentally retarded. In her ruling, Burns said that the state "pointed to nothing" in Ferleger's execution of his duties over the past eight years to suggest they were deficient. Hartford Courant, “Ruling Keeps Monitor on Job: State Loses Bid to Remove Training School ‘Special Master’” Colin Poitras, December 15, 2005
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-139822928/ruling-keeps-monitor-job.html https://secure.pqarchiver.com/courant/access/942196781.html?dids=942196781:942196781&FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Dec+15%2C+2005&author=COLIN+POITRAS%3BCourant+Staff+Writer&pub=Hartford+Courant&edition=&startpage=B.1&desc=RULING+KEEPS+MONITOR+ON+JOB+%3B+STATE+LOSES+IN+BID+TO+REMOVE+TRAINING+SCHOOL+%60SPECIAL+MASTER%27
The state unsuccessfully contested most of the special master’s reports. As one historical summary of the case puts it, “the court ultimately accepted all of the reports.” Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse. http://www.clearinghouse.net/detail.php?id=442
“Between July 30, 1997, and February 22, 2006, the Special Master submitted twenty-six status reports, sixty-three topic-specific reports, and numerous other reports, recommendations, and analyses. Based on the docket, it appears that the Special Master addressed (1) individualized planning, (2) community placement policies, (3) abuse and neglect, (4) the rights of persons with disabilities, (5) human rights and behavioral programming reviews, (6) occupational and physical therapy, (7) medical and dental care, (8) dosage benchmarks, (9) physical restraint techniques and standards, (10) mortality investigations, (11) case management and advocacy, (12) quality assurance plans, (13) facility upkeep, safety, and sanitation, (14) transportation, (15) employment of direct care staff, medical professionals, and specialized therapists, and (16) staff development. The defendants contested most of the Special Masterís reports, but the court ultimately accepted all of the reports. For instance, on February 22, 2004, the court accepted and adopted the Special Masterís report on Southburyís development of mortality review procedures.” Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse. http://www.clearinghouse.net/detail.php?id=442
In the court’s “Order Purging Defendants of Contempt and Ending Active Judicial Oversight,” (March 2006), the court expressed “the gratitude of the Court for his service.” (p. 3), and stated, “Special Master David Ferleger has effectively rendered a great public service in shepherding this process through to its conclusion. He has submitted to the Court twenty-six periodic status reports, sixty-three numbered topic-specific reports, many special reports and recommendations to the parties, and numerous other analyses.” (p. 11). The court concluded that the remedial process had resulted in substantial positive change at Southbury Training School: “The contempt finding has resulted in the reform of Southbury Training School mandated in the Remedial Plan and its associated plans and orders. The remedial process has done much to advance the interests of the residents of Southbury Training School. Ten years ago, this Court found systemic flaws at STS which placed residents at risk of great harm, even death. Today, residents of STS are safer and benefit from a state-of-the- art model of institutional care as Defendants have met the “adequate care” requirements in the Remedial Plan and, in many instances, gone beyond the court-mandated requirements to provide ‘best practices.’” (p. 12). Court Ruling, March 2006, United States v. State of Connecticut. http://www.websupp.org/data/DCT/318374-DCT.pdf http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:_kHxdseVZV0J:www.websupp.org/data/DCT/318374-DCT.pdf+ellen+bree+burns+ferleger&hl=en&gl=us&sig=AHIEtbTPOGcZKTUh1WR9Ngf35pbGnNfZ9Q IN 2006, STS was released from judicial oversight.
On June 4, 2008, in another lawsuit about Southbury Training School called Messier v. Southbury Training School, the federal court relied on the findings of Special Master Ferleger to find that most of the challenged inadequcies has been remedied under his evaluation process. “In a process of evaluation lasting almost a decade, the Special Master, with the assistance of experts commissioned by him and the parties, measured improvements at STS against the standards set forth in the Court Requirements. Periodically, when the Special Master concluded that the defendants had demonstrated compliance with a particular Court Requirement, he recommended that the court release STS from oversight for that Court Requirement.” Court Ruling, June 4, 2008, Messier v. Southbury Training School.
http://ct.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.%5CFDCT%5CDCT%5C2008%5C20080604_0000222.DCT.htm/qx