![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2025_1008_SR_CJTS_043-771x514.jpg\")
The former Connecticut Juvenile Training School on October 8, 2025.<\/p>\nThis story has been updated.<\/p>\n
Patients at Whiting Forensic Hospital in Middletown have a long list of complaints about their living quarters: unhygienic conditions and mice, the closure of the woodworking shop and vegetable garden, frustrations about staff behavior and a lack of privacy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
State leaders are working to address some of those shortcomings. But it\u2019s been a deliberate process.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A state task force, convened in 2019 to investigate complaints at Whiting, concluded that the facility was in desperate need of replacement. The task force recommended the construction of a new building \u2014 one that would \u201cpromote recovery and healing\u201d and provide long-term care in a modern and secure setting. In the state\u2019s fiscal year 2026 budget, Gov. Ned Lamont set aside $50 million in design costs toward a replacement for Whiting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sen. Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, co-chair of the legislature\u2019s Public Health Committee, said that the new facility was a critical next step in addressing issues raised by the task force. \u201cThis is a necessary responsibility of the state to address these issues,\u201d Anwar said. The new Whiting facility should be \u201creflective of the current times, a safe and healing environment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
But efforts to replace the old facility \u2014 a cramped, aging building from the 1970s that was planned by an architect who designed prisons \u2014 appear to have hit a roadblock.\u00a0<\/p>\n
An architectural firm hired by the state to study the best option for a new hospital has recommended a design that would cost the state $700 million.<\/p>\n
The plan, which would involve razing the former Connecticut Juvenile Training School in Middletown and constructing an entirely new 246-bed facility, offered several benefits. According to Page Southerland Page Inc., the firm contracted to perform the study, the new plan would make it possible to keep patients in one space, without having to transport them outside the facility; it would create more efficiency for staff and allow for private bedrooms and green spaces for patients.<\/p>\n
The former Connecticut Juvenile Training School on October 8, 2025.<\/p>\n
But the price tag was more than state budget officials were comfortable with spending. They have now asked the design firm to conduct\u00a0a new study in search of a less-expensive middle ground \u2014 potentially reusing portions of the former training school buildings rather than knocking them all down for a new building.<\/p>\n
Christopher McClure, spokesperson for the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, said no option has been taken off the table yet, and it will ultimately be up to the state\u2019s executive and legislative branches to make the final determination.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Whiting CEO Joe Crego said he supports conducting the new study. \u201cIt\u2019s going to give a lot of options, and ultimately the optimum way to utilize taxpayer dollars to build the best facility possible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20201012_WhitingForensic_Middletown_KIM_01-771x514.jpg\")
Whiting Forensic Division in Middletown on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. The hospital provides treatment and evaluation services for patients with mental health conditions who are involved in the criminal justice system or are not ready to be safely treated in less restrictive settings. Credit: Yehyun Kim \/ CT Mirror<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for Lamont did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication. <\/p>\n
After the story published, the spokesperson sent a statement via email. \u201cThe Governor understands the need for a new hospital to support the state\u2019s treatment and services for patients with acute mental health conditions who are involved in the criminal justice system,\u201d the statement read. \u201cThat\u2019s why he included $50 million in the most recent biennium budget to begin the process of evaluating the future of Whiting, including whether there are any existing structures that can be reused or redesigned to ensure state tax dollars are used most efficiently.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ongoing problems<\/p>\n
The shoddy conditions in Whiting Forensic Hospital have come under the scrutiny of state lawmakers for nearly a decade.\u00a0<\/p>\n
An abuse scandal in 2017, in which Whiting staff were videotaped physically and psychologically torturing<\/a> patient William Shehadi, Jr., shocked the public. Staff members abused Shehadi over an extended period, and dozens were found to either be involved in or aware of the abuse.\u00a0<\/p>\n The case also led to the state legislature\u2019s creation of the task force<\/a> that was charged with evaluating conditions at the forensic hospital and making recommendations for improvements. Members were appointed by state lawmakers and included advocates and experts<\/a>.<\/p>\n The task force\u2019s inquiry included hearings with patients, a tour of the Whiting building, and meetings with patient advocates, staff members and the Psychiatric Security Review Board \u2014 a group of mental health professionals and criminal justice experts charged with determining whether it is safe for a patient to transition from the hospital back into the community.<\/p>\n Patients who spoke to the task force<\/a> described a lack of educational programs and 12-step recovery groups; staffing shortages and quality-of-life concerns like cold showers; and cockroaches in the building. A 2019 report from Disability Rights Connecticut found that<\/a> the facility had inadequate treatment plans for patients, used restraints as a form of discipline and was overreliant on psychotropic medication.\u00a0<\/p>\n The report the task force released in 2021 described the facility as being in \u201cpoor condition\u201d and outlined numerous safety concerns. And the task force concluded that opportunities for learning, recovery and vocational advancement were more apparent in the state\u2019s correctional facilities than at Whiting \u2014 despite the fact that Whiting is, by its nature, not a punitive environment but rather intended to help people recover from illnesses that are preventing them from successfully rejoining society.<\/p>\n The task force ultimately recommended exploring options for constructing a new building \u2014 one that would \u201cpromote recovery and healing\u201d and provide long-term care in a modern and secure setting.<\/p>\n Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, has been an advocate for improvements at Whiting since the Shehadi abuse came to light, and she has visited the facility multiple times.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not a facility that would encourage wellness,\u201d Somers said. \u201cI could see it actually going the other way, being detrimental.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Somers said the history of abuse and the long slog to funding a new facility was important context for the public to be aware of as they watched a significant amount of money be set aside \u2014 $50 million by Lamont in the state\u2019s fiscal year 2026 budget for design costs toward the replacement of Whiting, and likely hundreds of millions more for construction in coming years.\u00a0<\/p>\n The decision to invest in Whiting is not coming out of nowhere, she said, but from revelations of dangerous conditions over many years of inquiry.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to recognize that we have to spend money to protect and serve those who are the most vulnerable,\u201d Somers said. \u201cI think that this is one of the most vulnerable populations that we have.\u201d She also pointed to the costliness of litigation for the state, which paid out $9 million in a legal settlement with Shehadi\u2019s family.<\/p>\n Staff and patients suggested many improvements needed at Whiting, but one, Crego said, was key: more space.\u00a0<\/p>\n Steve Morgan, a patient at Whiting, said the lack of space can irritate patients with paranoia and other mental health issues. \u201cPeople get amped up,\u201d Morgan said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Whiting serves three groups of patients \u2014 people who have committed a crime and been found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI); people who have been arrested but found not competent to stand trial; and people who have not been accused of any crime but who have been deemed too mentally unstable to rejoin the community.\u00a0<\/p>\n For all patients, it\u2019s important that the environment be therapeutic. And that\u2019s often not the way it goes.<\/p>\n Crego said patients at the maximum security facility, for example, move up and down a single hallway when they need to traverse the building \u2014 an arrangement that became problematic during the COVID pandemic. While there\u2019s a courtyard in the center, patients aren\u2019t able to see much beyond the tops of trees.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s not a lot of room,\u201d Crego said. That can be a problem when a patient is upset, he said. \u201cOne of the biggest de-escalators is just to allow someone who\u2019s upset space,\u201d Crego said.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s also a safety hazard, Crego explained: if someone starts behaving violently, having space allows that person to calm down naturally rather than having to step in and physically restrain the person.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of studies that show that 30 minutes of physical activity a day for any one of us \u2014 it\u2019s almost better than an antidepressant or an anti-anxiety medication,\u201d Crego explained. \u201cSo for someone with a pretty significant serious mental health issue, the ability to have more space in and of itself is therapeutic.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n If the state moves forward with the CJTS site in Middletown, Crego said it might be possible to reuse some of the buildings that already existed, which would save some money. And there are opportunities to add programs at the site.<\/p>\n Crego said the facility\u2019s larger building, located next to the football field, already has a training kitchen, treatment areas and places for school and vocational training. Another plus is the \u201cmirrored spaces\u201d in the building, which allow residents to see others on the opposite side.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf we\u2019re able to show a patient who\u2019s here in [maximum security] and is working on this side of that building that, hey, there\u2019s another side \u2026 that I can be able to get a job working in the kitchen and start to work my way out, it instills that sense of hope, which is so important for all of us as human beings,\u201d Crego said.<\/p>\n There are some areas that would have to be revamped, Crego said, particularly the sleeping areas. The dorms at the training school were set up like cells, not like hospital rooms, and were designed for children rather than adults.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Crego said patients were given a great deal of input during the study \u2014 they were part of work groups, on steering committees and in policy groups.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSome of our folks, unfortunately, stay here for quite some time. So we want to make sure that they\u2019re able to have some input into their homes,\u201d Crego said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The task force\u2019s study presented some alternative options, like the construction of a smaller 102-bed facility or the renovation of Dutcher Hall, the current building housing lower-security patients. But those options have some key drawbacks, including the need to transport patients and distribute food between two buildings, and the space limitations present at Dutcher Hall.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Somers was skeptical of whether a renovation of existing buildings at CJTS would ultimately deliver the necessary cost savings. As a perennial renovator of older homes and as a former mayor who oversaw the renovation of local schools, Somers said that she\u2019s learned over the years that costs are usually far more than anticipated because of unexpected problems.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know of any renovation that has ever come in under budget,\u201d she said. \u201cSometimes it\u2019s more cost effective to just build new, and I hate to say that, but that\u2019s the reality of what I faced.\u201d<\/p>\n Ultimately, she said, building a new facility would allow the state to have more control and create the environment of healing that is the end goal.<\/p>\n In order for Whiting to improve care and operations, staff, patients and state officials say it will take more than just new space.\u00a0<\/p>\n Representatives from the hospital and the state Department of Administrative Services said natural light was key, and they proposed things like a cafe that would be open to community members, a chapel, a room for art therapy and woodworking, a comfortable visiting area, places where they could host outdoor activities like cookouts and basketball games, and vocational programs that would serve patients when they\u2019re released into the wider communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n A key priority was creating a facility that would be clearly focused on recovery and that would prepare patients for a successful return for their communities. They said they wanted to decrease the stigma associated with the facility and improve understanding from the general public.<\/p>\n Staff also said that while a new building has been promised for years \u2014 and repairs were \u201clong overdue\u201d \u2014 that wouldn\u2019t magically fix some of the systemic problems plaguing the institution.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOur job is to care for your loved ones during their most vulnerable moments. Yet, we\u2019re understaffed, not properly supported, and lacking the equipment to do the jobs we were trained to do. Morale is low because leadership isn\u2019t listening,\u201d said Rob Baril, president of SEIU 1199 NE, the union representing workers at Whiting Forensic Hospital, in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf this is really about improving care, it must start with treating staff with respect, hiring enough people, and committing to real oversight,\u201d he added. \u201cA new building means nothing without a new approach.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20201012_WhitingForensic_Middletown_KIM_04-771x514.jpg\")
Whiting Forensic Division in Middletown on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. The hospital provides treatment and evaluation services for patients with mental health conditions who are involved in the criminal justice system or are not ready to be safely treated in less restrictive settings. Credit: Yehyun Kim \/ CT Mirror
\nNot enough space<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2025_1008_SR_CJTS_019-771x514.jpg\")
The former Connecticut Juvenile Training School on October 8, 2025.
\nA new building can\u2019t fix everything<\/p>\n