Legistative History for Connecticut Act

Transcription

1 Legistative History for Connecticut Act / Transcripts from the Joint Standing Committee Pubiic Hearing(s) and/or Senate and House of Representatives Proceedings Connecticut State Library Compited 2013

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3 THURSDAY - MAY 14, 1959 j privately with the gentleman from Brookfield. I don't think we should discuss a legal matter across the Hall. I move that this be passed retaining. THE SPEAKER: The bill is passed retaining. (Mr. Shea of Merlden moved to pass retaining the following bills: Cals. 921, 922,923,924,925,and 926.) THE CLERK: Business from the Senate: APPROPRIATIONS S.B An act making appropriations for each of the fiscal years in the period ending June 30, I THE SPEAKER: ; Tabled for the Calendar, the CLERK: Qal File 763. Sub, for H.B An act concernfng the treatment purpose of the Security Treatment Center.! Favorable report of Public Welfare and Humane Institutions. THE SPEAKER: The lady from Oxford. MRS. FISHER: I move acceptance of the committee's favorable report and passage of the bill. Madam Speaker, the last session of the General Assembly I passed permissive legislation to enable the Security Treatment

4 Center (inaudible) for the care and treatment under maximum security conditions of mentally ill criminals now in the state hospitals require maximum security. Patients in state penal and correction institutions who become mentally ill, and for certain types of cases sent there by the court, under sec the heads of penal and correction institutions could transfer certain or almost any Inmate to the Security Treatment Center and for any purpose. Present laws now specify that such transfer requires that a licensed physician certify that the inmate is mentally ill. Another provision is that the Security Treatment Center shall complete its examination of the transfer not later than 30 days instead of the present 60 days. THE SPEAKER: Remark further. If not, question is on the acceptance and passage of the bill? The 'ayes' have it. Bill is passed. THE CLERK: Cal File 586. S.B.185. An act concerning the right of an officer or employee of a building or savings and loan association to secure savings. Favorable report of Banks. THE SPEAKER: Gentleman from Salem. MR. PLOSJAI:

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6 THURSDAY MAY 21, Act authorizing the Town of Ledyard to Acquire and operate a Water System. Favorable report of the Committee on Public Utilitie SENATOR SCANLON: Mr. President.. Senator from the 6th. SENATOR SCANLON: May this bill be passed retaining its place? There's no objection. This bill may be passed retaining its place on the Calendar. THE CLERK: Cal. No Pile No Substitute for House Bill No An Act concerning the Treatment purpose of the Security Treatment Center. Favorable report of the Committee on Public Welfare and Humane Institutions. SENATOR SCANLON:: Mr. President.. Senator from the 6th. SENATOR SCANLON: May Calendar numbers 1321, 1322, 1323 and 1324 be passed retaining their place. There's no objection. This bills may be passed retaining their place on the Calendar.

7 [THURSDAY MAY 21^ And as I recall, subject to my memory, this would fall in the budget as it now stands. Will you remark further? If not, all those in favor will signify by saying "aye", those opposed "no". The "ayes" have it. The bill is ordered passed. SENATOR SCANLON: Mr. President.. Senator from the 6th. SENATOR SCANLON: May we now return to Cal. No at the top of page 19? THE CLERK: Cal. No File No Substitute for House Bill No An Act concerning the Treatment purpose of the Security Treatment Center. Favorable report of the Committee on Public Welfare and Humane Institutions. - SENATOR SCHAFFER: Mr. President.. Senator from the 14th. SENATOR SCHAFFER: I move the acceptance of the committee's favorable report and passage of the bill.

8 ;<ME 194 i!, ^ {THURSDAY ' MAY 21, i i Question is on acceptance of the committee's fpvorabl j report and passage of the bill. Will you remark?! SENATOR SCRAPPER: [{ ij This bill while it's a rather long bill provides!! j simply a courteous definition of what constitutes mental illness las it applies to those who would be treated at Security Treatment i - )l Center. It also insures that no prisoners who are simple disci- ; plinarian problems would be confined at this Security Treatment! Center. The Center would be simply reserved for those who would be classified as psychotic.! j Thank you, warden. Will you remark further? If not, tall those in favor will signify by saying "aye", those opposed j "no". The "ayes" have it. The bill is ordered passed, j THE CLERK: j Cal. No File No House Bill No An Act concerning Recall of Mental Patients from Leave. Favorable report of the Committee on public Welfare and Humane Institutions SENATOR SCHAFFER: Mr. President.. Senator from the 14th. SENATOR SCHAFFER: I move the acceptance of the committee's favorable report and passage of the bill.

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10 Chairman Piccolo: We will now open hearings on H.B ' (Rep. Farmer) CONSTRUCTION OF SECURITY TREATMENT CENTER. That's Rep. Farmer again. H.B (Rep. Mackie) RECOGNITION OF THE INCLUSION OF THE SECURITY TREATMENT CENTER IN THE BOARD OF MENTAL HEALTH, ^nyone present who would like to speak in favor of that bill? H.B ^Rep. Makcie) RECOGNITION OF THE INCLUSION OF THE SECURITY TREATMENT CENTER IN THE BOARD OF MENTAL HEALTH. Is there anyone present who would like to apeak in opposition to this bill? ^f not, we will close the hearings on H.B (Rep..^ackie) RECOGNITION OF THE INCLUSION OF THE SECURITY TREATMENT CENTER IN THE BOARD OF MENTAL HEALTH. We will now open the hearing on H.B ^ (Rep. Mackie) THE TREATMENT PURPOSE OF THE SECURITY TREATMENT CENTER. Anyone here who would like to speak in favor of that bill? H.B. 2968^'tRep. Makcie) RECOGNITION OF THE INCLUSION OF THE SECURITY TREATMENT CENTER IN THE BOARD OF MENTAL HEALTH. If not, would anyone like to speak in opposition? We will close the hearing on H.B. 2968' (Rep. Mackie) RECOGNITION OF THE INCLUSION OF THE SECURITY TREATMENT CENTER IN TKE BOARD OF MENTAL HEALTH. We will open hearing on H.B. 2969'(Rep. Mackie) APPOINTMENT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE SECURITY TREATMENT CENTER. H.B. 2969'(Rep. Mackie) APPOINTMENT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE SECURITY TREATMENT CENTER. Is there anyone here who would like to speak on this bill?

11 Dr. Bloomberg, Mental Health Department: bill to remove this guerrilla function from the Advisory and Review Board and to make cleqr that the motivating decision as to whether a patient has recovered and need no longer sta^r in this institution should be a medical decision in the hands of the director and staff and any parole decisions should be referred to the parole board. This is a complicated this is what they inaudible and to punish Senator Gloria Schaffer, 14th Dist: Dr. Bloomberg in H.B. 2963Rep. Mackie) THE TREATMENT PURPOSE OF THE SECURITY TREATMENT CENi'ER the re is a change there inaudible...certified licensed physician to be mentally ill. Are you not setting a different standard for mental illness as it pertains to those who are confined to penal institutions? In other words, you left out the wording of mentally deficient or emotionally unbalanced. Is this not a different standard from that applied to other people who would be concerned with this treatment center? Dr. Bloomberg, Mental Health Commissioner: I don't think so, Senator. The intention is simply to withdraw this function from the of the superintendent. You see, H.B. 2963^1 Rep. Mackie) THE TREATMENT PURPOSE OF THE SECURITY TREATMENT CENTER - the language that is taken out is that, 'the warden or superintendent determines in his discretion and so with this that such transfer would improve discipline^' You see, this was the Alcatraz aspect of it. - or aid in safekeeping, treatment, training, employment, education or rehabilitation of the inmate or of the general institutional population. we are trying to do is to withdraw this authority to commission or transfer from the superintendent of the correctional institution and lodge it has it is with any 30 day emergency admission to a hospital from a licensed physician who says a patient is in need of this kind of ho spit ali zatio n. Senator Schaffer, 14th Dist: Are you not deleting or perhaps, be mentally deficient who might be no longer come under another What would be the definition of mentally ill as it is constituted now?

12 Dr. Bloomberg, Mental Health Commissioner: You are, of course, bringing up a much broader subject on which I am without opinion at the moment on what the relation of mental retardation and mental illness is. I suppose it could be written in to add mentally retarded - because and I guess the reason wasn't written in w&s because in my own professional thinking and off the record - I include mental retardation in the problems of mental illness. You see a treatment center for patients who are mentally ill or today's mentally retarded who become emotionally disturbed and can be treated for that is one thing. A place to train the mentally retarded is another - I don't iguite know how to resolve the problem raised by your question but I don't think of mental retardation alone as the reason for transfer of an inmate from a correctional institution to this highly staffed, highly specialized Security Treatment Center. I would have no objection to the adding to the wording of this a sentence to the effect - to certify by licensed physician to be mentally ill or mentally retarded and in need of such treatment. Senator Schaffer, 14th Dist: What concerned me about was - I wondered if in isolated cases it might be cutting off an avenue of approach to your penal institutions by the wording as it now exists. Dr. Bloomberg, Commissioner of Mental Health: We didn't intend to. I should point out, Senator, that the avenue of approach that the penal institutions are here offered is, as I understand it, the intent of the bill, is the approach of treatment of those patients or those inmates who become emotionally disturbed or mentally ill or because of mental retardation plus emotional disturbance needs something more that the penal institution doesn't offer. Again, I don't want this to become a place to which the penal institutions can send their difficult problems. Rep. Bentley, Harwinton: Doctor there is a mark of deletion here on that bill and I don't see where it starts. It ends but the mark of deletion has no start.

13 30 STATE WELFARE & HUMANE INSTITUTIONS ^ dl Thursday April 9, 1959 Dr. Bloomberg, Commissioner of Mental Health: H.B. 2963'^(Rep. Mackie) THE TREATMENT PURPOSE OF THE SECURITY TREAT- MENT CENTER? Rep. Bentley, Harwinton: It starts in at diagnosis, part way down on the page. Dr. Bloomberg, Commissioner of Mental Health: Yes, it says - such a report shall include and then in parenthesis the deletion of and then it deletes down to where the capital begins* Incidentally sir, I note here, as I check ^ this to withdraw H.B ^(Rep. Mackie) APPOINTMENT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE SECURITY TREATMENT CENTER. This is a bill that attempted to deal with the resignation of the director of the Security Treatment Center but I have said many times that I am opposed to - if it can be avoided - to legistlation of administrative matters and this seems to me is an administrative matter and I am sure Mrs. Mackie, who introduced it, would go along with us. She regretted that she wasn't going to be able to be here today but I am sure she would be willing to permit the withdrawal of this. Chairman Piccolo: ' H.B. 2970*1 Rep. Mackie) GEOGRAPHICAL LO- CATION OF DIVISIONS OF SECURITY TREATMENT CENTER deals with the location. Will you discuss that in your dissertation? This will now bring us up to conclusion of the bills relating to the mental health center and the Security Treatment Center. Doctor as long as you're on your feet would you mind telling the committee members about the activities that are going on today? I understand that - Senator Norman Hewitt, 25th Dist: Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen of the committee. I'd like to address my remarks to S.B. 1007<(Sen. Hewitt)COMMUNITY RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES FOR THE MENTALLY RETARDED. S.B. 1007/(Sen. Hewitt) COMMUNITY RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES FOR THE MENTALLY RETARDED. I will be very brief because I have to testify at some length on this bill at a previous hearing and I simply want to