The state of New Hampshire has been engaging in the practice of placing non-adjudicated civilly committed individuals in the Secure Psychiatric Unit known as "SPU", in the New Hampshire State Prison in Concord, NH. This is a practice that has been in place for quite some time and permitted by statute. The state's position is that the individuals transferred to SPU are too dangerous to be managed at New Hampshire Hospital, the state's psychiatric hospital. This practice is wrought with numerous issues. First being that these individuals are moved from the jurisdiction of the NH Department of
Health and Human Services to that of the Department of Corrections. SPU is not an accredited behavioral health treatment facility. Nor is it eligible for any type of reimbursement for treatment provided by the facility. Its reporting requirements of sentinel events and other quality information is not available to the public. The transfer of these individuals moves them from an accredited hospital setting to the
prison. This practice effectively creates two classes of civilly committed individuals in the state of New Hampshire. Those who remain in
a hospital and those who end up in the prison. This is an enormous disparity in treatment delivery. The the civil and human rights violations are clear. Individuals now languish in SPU for years in the absence of either being charged with a
crime or having been adjudicated. The state refuses to transfer these individuals to licensed, accredited forensic facilities because of the
cost involved. New Hampshire has no true forensic hospital. Attempts by State Representative Renny Cushing to begin the planning for such a facility have been dismissed by the New Hampshire State Legislature. The most recent activity on this issue was the introduction of House Bill 1541 in 2015 by Rep. Cushing to prohibit the practice of placing
non-adjudicated civilly committed individuals in SPU and require their transfer to an appropriate forensic facility. A hearing was held in
February 2016. A number of individuals testified indicating how this practice was inconsistent with both the law and accepted clinical standards of mental health treatment. Yet it seems unlikely that any thing will change. The human cost, including the vicarious trauma to families is clearly not part of the equation as well. It is fiscally convenient for the state to keep this practice in place. These individuals are under the supervision of the Department of Corrections . They are defacto prisoners in the absence of any legitimate due process. The time has come for the voices and faces that have been impacted by this shameful practice to have a forum. History has shown us that when
it comes to ending the abuses against ulnerable individuals, it usually starts with those most effected. Even if this has not touched you
directly, please join those whose lives have been impacted by this practice. It is time to display compassion and engage in thoughtful,
mindful conversation about how we treat those with mental illness in New Hampshire. Please join us in that conversation. If someone close to you is in SPU on an adjudicated status, please join us as well. There is much to be learned from all that have had contact with this facility. This practice is a relic that speaks to a dark period when the mentally ill were routinely abandoned in prisons. It is equally troubling and stunning to think we are still navigating mental health treatment practices and policies as primitive as this in 2016.
