Disability Law Center Reports from 2019 to 2025 highlight major infrastructure deficiencies and extremely unsafe conditions
Read August 2025 Disability Law Center report here:
https://www.dlc-ma.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DLC-BSH-August-2025-Public-Report-Final.pdf
Documented infrastructure issues
Mold infestation: Experts hired by the DLC found extensive mold throughout the facility since 2019, including the medical building and HVAC systems. Subsequent remediation efforts by the Department of Correction (DOC) were deemed substandard, and independent testing to ensure safety was not performed. The DLC's August 2025 report again flagged the facility's mold infestation and stated that the hospital's infrastructure is inadequate for its vulnerable patient population.
Persistent health risks: The DLC's monitoring, which began as early as 2018, concluded that the physical plant's condition warrants the facility's closure due to ongoing health and safety risks.
Inadequate repairs: Despite the DOC's attempts at remediation for issues like asbestos and mold, the DLC has reported that these efforts were not completed according to industry standards.
Underlying operational issues
Beyond physical deterioration, critics also cite serious issues with the hospital's operations, which are managed by the Department of Correction.
Correctional vs. clinical model: Advocacy groups like the DLC and NAMI Massachusetts have consistently argued that placing patients with severe mental illness in a facility overseen by a correctional authority, instead of a mental health one, is fundamentally flawed.
Reports of patient mistreatment: Recent reports in 2025 detail allegations of physical violence by staff, excessive use of restraints (including chemical restraints), and neglect of patients' medical needs. Some of these practices are alleged to violate state law.
Ongoing advocacy: Advocacy groups continue to call for the hospital's operations to be transferred to the Department of Mental Health and for a new, modern facility to be constructed.
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