Evening star., 1953-03-20
0VerhoIser Defends
Hospitals Treatment
OF Sex Psychopaths

Supt. winfred Overholser of
et. Elizabeths Hospital yesterday
defended the hospitals. treat
ment Of sex pSychopathS.
He made it clear he was re-
spending to charges made by
q committed sex psychopath,
which prompted the U. S. Court
Of Appeals to instruct the lower
court to investigate the condi-
tionS Of the appellants confine-
ment and. If the findings war
rant, order his removal to an
other part Of the hospital.
DR.. Overholser spoke before
the American Bar Associations
Washington Committee on I'M
proving the Administration of
Justice. The group of judges,
lawyers and laymen, after DR..
Overholser'S address, voted to
support the pending budget re-
quest for funds to build q new
37S-bed maximum security sec
ton for the hospital.
Describe Procedure.
DR.. OverholSer gave this de-
scription of Howard Hall, the
maximum security section at st.
Elizabeths. which figured in the
Court of Appeals instructions for
an investigation:
The general policy is to admit
to Howard Hall all male patients
against whom criminal charges
are pending or who are under
sentence. This is done to assure
that the patient will not escape
and can be returned to the court,
If it wants him. However, other
patients in the hospital who
might be dangerous if they
escape are transferred to How
ard Hall.
Less than half Of the ITS
patients now in Howard Hall are
locked in their rooms at night.
In two of the halls eight wards,
no patients are locked in at
night. This includes Ward 6
which figured in the appeals
court decision.
Although this ward was de-
scribed in the decision as a place
where there are many wild and
violent insane persons, actually
Ward 6 is the privilege ward,
where convalescent and well-or-
dered prisoners are lodged. Some
Of these patients have their own
radio and television set, and the
atmosphere is quiet.
All Under Treatment.
All patients in Howard Hall
are under treatment, individually
and in groups. A woman occu-
pational therapist Is now in
charge of occupational therapy
IN the hall. The patients publish
their own journal. have organ
lied two talent shows, operate
their own band, have held field
days and softball contests with
teams from outside the hall, see
movies and attend religious
services.
DR.. OverholSer said st. Eliza
beth'S is probably carrying on q
more active and successful treat
ment program with the sex psy-
chopaths than any similar inSti-
tuition.
OF the so sex pSychopaths ad-
n1itted since the Miller law, pro-
viding for their commitment, was
passed in 194S, DR.. Overholser
said, 20 have been discharged
and 81 are still on the rolls but
only IL Of these are now lodged
IN Howard Hall.
Needless to say" he added,
"these sexual pSychopath pa
tients who remain in Howard
Hall are patients who are highly
unco-operative with treatment
or who otherwise have q poor
prognosis as to fitness for re-
lease. Some Of them are assault
tive and potentially dangerous.
One Ward Impractical.
II may add that, If any Of
them object to the propinquity
Of the committed insane the
sentiment is not entirely without
reciprocation. To care for the
sexual psychopaths all in one
ward, however, would add ad-
ninistrative problems which are
better left undescribed."
He also pointed out that, when
the Miller law was passed, it
merely stated that the sex
psycopath should be committed
to st. Elizabeths and made no
mention of special quarters, nor
special appropriations to care
for this group.
In explaining the need for
larger maximum security facili-
ties, DR.. Overholser said prison.
ers at the District Jail awaiting
transfer to St. ElizabethS now
have to wait an average Of AZ
days and, in % cases, over so
days, because of overcrowding at
the hospital. He said the in
creased facilities should also
house women, since the number
Of women prisoners committed to
the hospital has risen from 10
or less admitted annually before