United States Department of Justice, Findings Letter, North Carolinia's
U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Special Litigation Section - PHB 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20530 March 17, 2004 The Honorable Michael F. Easley Governor of North Carolina 116 West Jones Street State Capitol Building Raleigh, NC 27603 Re: North Carolina’s Public Mental Health Hospitals, Dorothea Dix Hospital in Raleigh, Broughton Hospital in Morganton, Cherry Hospital in Goldsboro, and John Umstead Hospital in Butner Dear Governor Easley: On June 20, 2001, we notified you that we were initiating an investigation of conditions at North Carolina’s four state- operated mental health facilities (Dorothea Dix, Broughton, Cherry, and John Umstead Hospitals) pursuant to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (“CRIPA”), 42 U.S.C. § 1997. During the spring to early summer of 2002, we visited all four facilities with expert consultants in the areas of psychiatry, psychology, nursing care, social work, substance abuse, community mental health care and discharge planning. We conducted our investigation by reviewing facility records, including patients' medical charts and other documents relating to the care and treatment of patients, interviewing administrators, staff, and patients, and conducting on-site tours of all four hospitals. At exit interviews conducted on the last day of each facility visit, we verbally conveyed our preliminary findings to counsel, senior North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services officials, and supervisory facility administrators. Consistent with the requirements of CRIPA, we are now writing to apprise you of our findings. Our findings are supported by the assessments contained in our expert consultants’ reports. As a threshold matter, we wish to express our appreciation to the staff of the Department of Health and Human Services, the - 2 Attorney General’s office, and the administrators and staff of the four facilities for their extensive assistance and cooperation during our investigation.
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