There are continuing problems at the Massachusetts Department of Correction mental health hospital, according to a The report recommends that the state transfer control of Bridgewater State Hospital from the Department of Correction to the Department of Mental Health.
Department of Correction officials said they have taken steps to address some of the concerns raised in the report, such using daily video reviews of instances of physical restraint, and hiring Dr. Debra Pinals, a former Department of Mental Health official, to review the hospital's practices and policies.
"The treatment and conditions at Bridgewater State Hospital are simply not acceptable, and they don't meet the needs of the Bridgewater State Hospital population," said Tatum Pritchard, director of litigation for the Disability Law Center. According to the report, Gale's review found the hospital's care for those with opioid use disorder raised"significant concerns."