Massachusetts Department of Corrections and Wellpath Recovery Solutions continue to fail loved ones suffering everyday from serious mental illness (SMI) inside a well known toxic and untherapeutic envionment.
Experts have called for Bridgewater State Hospital to shut down! Bridgewater State Hospital is a unsanitary and toxic envionment loaded with insects, rodents, toxic molds, mildew, delapdated housing, and unqualified leadership. Both the Disability Law Center and mold expert condemn the Bridgewater State Hospital complex, " No one should be working or living in this envionment". The toxic mold is deadly!
The Department of Mental Health is managing a similiar population at at Worcester Recovery Center Hospital. The cost is half of what is being spent at Bridgewater State Hospital. The therapeutic envionment, policies, and strict security is already in place.
A solution: Combine Bridgewater State Hospital and Worcester Recovery Center Hospital populations The savings would be enormous (Estimate- $500 million over 6 years)
Bridgewater State Hospital budget includes MASSIVE executive salaries and expenses. The Department of Corrections executive leadership continues to mismanage operations, budgets, and the patient popuation. Nothing will change under the present leadership teams. W ehave seen the mismanagement fo rmany years. The negligence seen and communicated by the Disability Law Center is astounding and shocking.
A Bridgewater State Hospital Tour by Massachusetts Senator Jamie Eldridge
Here are the statistics:
Massachusetts Department of Corrections Statistics:
Bridgewater State Hospital cost per patient $328,178 +- (This is a DOC Facility)
https://www.mass.gov/locations/bridgewater-state-hospital
Worcester Recovery Center Hospital Cost Per Patient $158,000 _ + (This is a DMH Facility) Note: This population is similair to the Bridgewater State Hospital.
Lemuel Shattuck Hospital Cost Per Patient $516,000 +- (This is a DOC Facility)
https://www.mass.gov/locations/lemuel-shattuck-hospital-correctional-unit
Massachusetts inmate population trends are down 38%+- over the past decade, yet, the MADOC budget is up 50% during this same time ($841 Million dollars+-), making it the highest correctional budget in the United States. This includes the closing of three Massachusetts prison facilities in the past year. Years of overtime abuse is alarming.
https://www.mass.gov/doc/prison-population-trends-2024/download
Massachusetts Ranks Number One in Prison Spending $307,000+- Per Inmate
https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/prison-spending-by-state
Massachusetts Has One of the Worse Recidivisms in the Country- Ranking Number 35+-
https://thetoughestbeat.com/what-each-state-spends-per-prisoner-and-recidivism-rates/
Weekly Massachusetts Inmate Count 2025
https://www.mass.gov/lists/weekly-inmate-count-2025
DOC 2025 Budget
https://budget.digital.mass.gov/summary/fy25/enacted/public-safety/dept--of-correction/89000001/
The Staggering Cost -Massachusetts Department of Corrections
https://live959.com/the-staggering-cost-per-inmate-in-massachusetts/
Civil Rights Violations MADOC
Disability Law Center Monitor Reports- A Decade of Illegal Practices and Civil Rights Violations, Including Deaths
February 7, 2027
Disability Law Center Bridgewater State Hospital Monitor- Find Reports Here
https://www.dlc-ma.org/monitoring-investigations-reports/
Unsanitary Conditions Persist at Bridgewater State Hospital- Department of Public Health Facility Inspection Reports . Facility Inspector Inspector Says " I Am Concerned About Disease Transmittal".
https://www.mass.gov/lists/2024-correctional-facility-inspection-reports
Please contact your legislator and Governor Healey in support of transferring Bridgewater State Hospital to the Department of Mental Health.
Legislator Contact Information Here:
https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator
Governor Healey Contact Information Here:
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/email-the-governors-office
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Thank you