Opinion ID: 1301958
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the facilities

Text: Ward 2, where petitioner W. stays, is entered through a series of double-locked doors. A visitor is immediately impressed by the bleak and squalid atmosphere of the ward. Its green walls are utterly bare and cheerless. There are always between 30 and 40 psychiatric patients in Ward 2, many of whom mill about aimlessly throughout the day. The staff usually remain in the nursing station; their only contact with the patients occurs when they deliver medication through a two-piece door, the top part of which can be opened independently. The ward has a distinctive odor caused by patient incontinence. Ward 11, where Ms. R. is now a resident, is similar to Ward 2 in terms of bleakness. The nurses' station is behind iron bars and is centrally located in the circular ward. Again the ambulatory patients mill about and there are occasional outbursts from the patients. The two other petitioners were staying in what is called the pre-discharge unit. It has two floors with small rooms where group meetings can take place. Each patient has an independent, unlocked room with a footlocker. There are curtains on the windows and the atmosphere is more like that of an old house than that of a hospital. Consequently, the custodial facilities for these patients appear to meet minimal humane standards relating to the custodial setting, although we are uninformed about the relationship between the custodial setting and a program of appropriate therapy.