Oliver/Lampitt/Greenwald/Love/Cruz-Perez Bill Requiring State to Report Assaults & Deaths at State Psychiatric Hospitals Signed

(TRENTON) – Legislation sponsored by Assembly members Sheila Y. Oliver, Pamela R. Lampitt, Louis D. Greenwald, Sandi Love and Nilsa Cruz-Perez to require the state to publicly report assaults and deaths at state psychiatric hospitals has been signed into law by Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

The law (A-2949) is a direct response to delays in the release of statistics on assaults at Ancora Psychiatric Hospital in Camden County.

Lawmakers had requested the information following several high-profile incidents at the hospital, including a patient escape and several deaths.

“The well-being of patients at state-operated hospitals should never be in doubt and breaches in the safety net cannot be hidden from view,” said Oliver (D-Essex). “Any violent incident at a state hospital must be made part of the public record so health officials and legislators can take appropriate and immediate action.”

The law requires the Department of Human Services (DHS) to establish a system for reporting the number of physical assaults and unexpected deaths that occur at the state’s psychiatric hospitals: Ancora, Ann Klein Forensic Center, Greystone Park Psychiatric Center, Senator Garret W. Hagedorn Psychiatric Center and Trenton Psychiatric Hospital.

The report will be a public record, posted on the official DHS website and updated quarterly, but will not contain identifying information about patients or staff members.

“The public – especially a patient’s family – is entitled to know what goes on inside hospital walls,” said Lampitt (D-Camden). “Violence amongst patients and, most abhorrently, violence between staff and patents must be made public so that something can be done about it immediately.”

Under the law, the report will, at a minimum, separately identify for each state psychiatric hospital:

“The inexplicable and tragic situation at Ancora proved why this legislation is necessary,” said Greenwald (D-Camden). “Whenever violence erupts in a state facility, the public has a right to know that this is going on so they can ask the rights questions about how these events can be prevented from happening again.”

The state recently awarded $600,000 to the family of a Trenton Psychiatric patient who escaped from the grounds of the hospital and was days later found dead of an apparent suicide. The lawmakers said they were unaware of the 22-year-old’s death until his family filed their lawsuit.

“Problems in state hospitals cannot be glossed-over or summarily dismissed,” said Love (D-Gloucester) “The time for transparency and full accountability is now.”

“We have allowed for too much time to pass and now we owe it to the families of the patients of these hospitals and the advocates who fight for their safety,” said Cruz-Perez (D-Camden) “Transparency is what they deserve and that is what they will have.”

For Release: Nov. 20, 2009

Contact: Assemblywoman Oliver (973) 395-1166
Assemblywoman Lampitt & Assemblyman Greenwald (856) 435-1247
Assemblywoman Love (856) 401-3073
Assemblywoman Cruz-Perez (856) 541-1251